TRANSPORT

Aviation Security

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether military air bases handling civilian flights on an occasional basis are deemed to meet the requirements of the National Aviation Security Programme by virtue of their military status;
	(2)  whether military air bases handling incoming civilian flights on an occasional basis are required fully to meet the requirements of the National Aviation Security Programme.

Gillian Merron: All UK airports, whether civil or military, from which are operated flights regulated under the National Aviation Security Programme, must meet the requirements of the programme, and are subject to routine inspection, audits and tests by the Department for Transport. Incoming flights will need to have met the requirements of their airport of departure. Military airports are not deemed to have met the requirements of the National Aviation Security Programme simply by virtue of their military status.

European Directive

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his policy on directive 2003/20/EC; when the directive will be implemented in England and Wales; and what consultation he has undertaken on the provisions of the directive.

Stephen Ladyman: We are implementing directive 2003/20/EC. We will lay draft regulations for approval before both Houses of Parliament as soon as possible and if approved we aim to bring them into force in September 2006.
	Public consultation in respect of the requirements in buses and coaches was published on 21 September 2004. The Department's decision following that consultation was published on 19 July 2005.
	Public consultation in respect of the requirements for greater use of child restraints in cars and goods vehicles was published on 13 June 2005. The Department's decision following consultation was published on27 February 2006. These documents have been placed in the Library and are also available on the Department's website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_ rdsafety/documents/divisionhomepage/039143 .hcsp and http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n= 13759&1=2 respectively.

Highway Code

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions he has in place to assess the level of adherence to the Highway Code by cyclists; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: We do not have any provisions in place to assess the level of adherence to the Highway Code by cyclists. Road traffic law and The Highway Code apply as much to cyclists as anyone else. Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police. They can prosecute cyclists who ride dangerously, carelessly, ignore traffic signsor signals, cycle on the pavement or commitany other road traffic offence. These offences carry maximum fines between £500 and £2,500. Also,£30 fixed penalty notices can be issued for cycling on the pavement, by police and community wardens.

Road Safety

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with Governments in  (a) Italy,  (b) Spain,  (c) Portugal and  (d) Austria on the effects on road safety of compulsory reflective vests for car drivers leaving their vehicles following a breakdown or accident; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of deaths and serious injuries that have been prevented by the requirement in law in  (a) Italy,  (b) Spain, (c) Portugal and  (d) Austria for drivers to wear reflective vests when leaving their vehicles at the roadside following a breakdown or accident; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether the Government submitted an opinion on the notification by Italy in the Official Journal of the European Union of its intention to require car drivers to wear reflective vests when leaving their vehicle at the roadside following accidents or breakdowns (notice number 2003/357/1);
	(4)  if he will commission research to evaluate the effectiveness of the requirement in  (a) Italy,  (b) Spain,  (c) Portugal and  (d) Austria for drivers to wear reflective vests when leaving their vehicle at the roadside in the event of a breakdown or accident; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  if he will commission a cost-benefit analysis of a requirement to wear reflective vests for car drivers who leave their car at the roadside following an accident or breakdown; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: No discussions have been entered into with other Governments, or opinions submitted upon, the benefits for road safety of compulsory reflective vests for car drivers leaving their vehicles following a breakdown or accident.
	We will continue to monitor experience in other countries that introduce legislation requiring drivers to wear reflective vests when leaving their vehicles at the roadside following a breakdown or accident. If clear evidence starts to emerge that it is beneficial, we would look again at the need to legislate.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Educational Materials

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the material produced by  (a) the House of Commons Information Office and  (b) the Education Unit for (i) schools and (ii) individual pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The following tables show the information requested:
	
		
			  (a) Materials produced by the House of Commons Information Office 
			 Weekly Information Bulletin An authoritative weekly guide to the work and business of the House of Commons. 
			 Sessional Information Digest A cumulated form of the Weekly Information Bulletin produced after the end of each Session. 
			 Commons Knowledge A simple, easy-to-use weekly guide to forthcoming business. 
			 Factsheets A range of 65 brief informative guides to various facets of the House of Commons and its work. 
			 Find Your MP A service on the parliamentary website that enables members of the public to find out who their MP is by entering their postcode. 
		
	
	The Information Office also updates a range of material on the parliamentary website, including Frequently Asked Questions, lists of Members (by constituency, party, county/unitary authority), membership of all-party subject and country groups, members of the Government and party spokespeople.
	
		
			  (b) Materials produced by the Parliamentary Education Unit 
			  Materials for teaching ages 7-11  
			 Wise Up about Parliament This booklet explains the work and role of Parliament. 
			 General Elections Explained This booklet describes the different aspects of a general election including constituencies, representation and voting. 
			 The Palace of Westminster: A Guide for Young People This booklet illustrates what can be seen on a tour of the building and is particularly useful in preparing pupils for a visit to Parliament. 
			 The Work of an MP This booklet explains the work of MPs both at Westminster and in their constituencies. 
			 Big Ben and the Clock Tower This booklet, with pullout poster, describes the history and workings of "Big Ben". 
			 Wallchart: About Parliament A poster, suitable for classroom use, supporting the Wise Up about Parliament booklet.(1) 
			 Citizenship Pack A series of worksheets with ideas for classroom activities and information about the Citizenship curriculum.(1) 
			 Our Parliament video and teachers' pack A modular series of short films for use in the classroom, accompanied by a workbook containing ideas for class activities.(1,2) 
			   
			  Materials for teaching ages 11-18  
			 Discover Parliament An introductory guide for younger students (ages 11-13) (also available in a Welsh/English bilingual version). 
			 Introduction to Parliament A general guide for older and general studies students (ages 14+). 
			 Parliament Explained A set of six booklets providing greater detail on specific aspects of Parliament, such as elections, debates, legislation, the two Houses and Parliament's relationship with government. 
			 Wallcharts: Parliament Explained Posters supporting each of the six Parliament Explained booklets.(1) 
			 The Speaker of the House of Commons A guide for teachers on the history and role of the Speaker.(1) 
			 Our Parliament video A modular series of short films for use with younger students (ages 11-13).(1,2) 
			 Parliament Uncovered video A series of short films similar to Our Parliament but addressing the Citizenship curriculum for older students (ages 14+).(1,2) 
			 Scrutiny Uncovered DVD A film focussing on the work of committees (ages 16-18).(1) 
			 General Election 2005 DVD A film that uses footage of the 2005 general election to explain the concepts of representation and voting (ages 14+).(1) 
			   
			  General materials  
			 Explore Parliament An educational website containing information about Parliament, interactive games for pupils, with lesson plans and other teaching aids.(1) 
			 (1 )Includes dedicated resources for teachers.  (2 )The existing Our Parliament and Parliament Uncovered films are due to be replaced with new DVD-based resources for the start of the next academic year (September 2006).

Educational Materials

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what plans the House of Commons Information Office has to produce new factsheets; how many factsheets were sent to members of the public in each of the last three years; how members of the public may obtain copies; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons Information Office publishes 65 factsheets covering a range of parliamentary, legislative and procedural topics. These are currently being reviewed to ensure that they continue to address the queries most commonly raised by members of the public, and in line with planned changes to the parliamentary website. The Information Office would be pleased to receive suggestions from Members and their constituents for suitable subjects for inclusion in future factsheets.
	The following table shows the number of factsheets that have been sent to the public, or downloaded from the parliamentary website, for each of the last three years:
	
		
			   Financial year 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Factsheets posted to members of the public 3,725 4,965 5,771 
			 Factsheets downloaded(1) 309,200 280,300 309,600 
			 (1) Figures include factsheets downloaded by users of the Parliamentary Network as well as members of the public. 
		
	
	Members of the public can obtain factsheets, free of charge, by contacting the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272 (email: hcinfo@parliament.uk) or, alternatively, downloading them from the parliamentary website (www.parliament.uk).

IT Equipment

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  how often information technology equipment is renewed for  (a) hon. Members and  (b) each Department of the House; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when information technology equipment was last renewed in each Department of the House.

Nick Harvey: Information technology equipment for staff of the House is now renewed every four years as part of a rolling programme to maximise the return on the investment. There is therefore no single renewal date. For Members, information technology equipment is currently renewed each Parliament, providing this is near to or longer than four years.

Reserved Seating (Officials)

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many seats are reserved for  (a) staff and  (b) advisers of (i) the Government and (ii) Opposition parties on (A) the Floor of the House and (B) the Floor of Standing Committees; and how many there were in (1) 1979, (2) 1997 and (3) 2001.

Nick Harvey: On the Floor of the House the Government has the use of eight seats in the Officials Box and two seats in the Under Gallery. The Opposition parties have the use of four seats in the Under Gallery. On the floor of Standing Committees the Government have the use of between four and eight seats depending on the size of the Committee Room. There are no seats reserved for advisers or staff of Opposition parties. The House authorities are not aware of any change in these arrangements since 1979.

Weekly Information Bulletin

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many copies of the House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin were  (a) published and  (b) sold in each of the last three Sessions for which information is available.

Nick Harvey: The number of  (a) editions published and  (b) copies sold of the House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin sold in the present Session to date and two previous Sessions is as follows:
	
		
			   Editions published  Copies sold 
			 2003-04 37 23,420 
			 2004-05 15 9,066 
			 2005-06(1) 33 18,672 
			 (1) To Edition 33.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Prosecutions

David Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases put forward by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last five years (a) resulted in a prosecution and  (b) did not result in a prosecution.

Mike O'Brien: The number and proportion in these two categories was as follows:
	
		
			   Cases prosecuted  Cases not prosecuted 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2001-02 1,021,431 78.1 285,759 21.9 
			 2002-03 1,076,491 78.5 294,594 21.5 
			 2003-04 1,107,604 80.7 264,386 19.3 
			 2004-05 1,048,074 83 214,741 17 
			 2005-06 999,980 85 176,132 15

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Correspondence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter dated 10 February from the hon. Member for North Down in relation to the tail docking of dogs.

Ben Bradshaw: I apologise for the delay. A reply was sent on 28 March 2006.

Forestry

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the comments on the programme for the endorsement of forest certification scheme in the Environmental Audit Committee's second report of Session 2005-06 on sustainable timber; and if she will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government note that the Committee had some concerns with the Government's decision to accept the programme for the endorsement of forest certification scheme (PEFC) as giving assurance of legal and sustainable timber sources. The Government's response to the Committee focused on the Committee's recommendation that the central point of expertise on timber (CPET):
	"should make clear to PEFC that it would be desirable for it clearly and simply to set out the minimum standards it expects all its national members to conform to if it wants continued approval of its scheme."
	The Government are generally satisfied that PEFC, having made changes to its scheme, now has a set of requirements that, if implemented by the national schemes endorsed by PEFC, will adequately assure compliance with Government contract requirements for legal and sustainable timber. However, this assessment was made prior to the process of implementation by national schemes being complete, and therefore a public commitment was made to assess the adoption of these changes by the national schemes endorsed by PEFC within a reasonable timeframe.
	The assessment of changes made is under way but not complete. It has raised concerns with the interpretation some national schemes have made of the PEFC requirement for achieving consensus in the development and revision of standards. In particular, it is not clear that the voting procedures adopted by some of the schemes reviewed would ensure that decisions could be made only in 'the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interests'—the definition of consensus adopted by PEFC. In the light of further discussions with interested parties the Government have decided that these interim findings merit further scrutiny before resolving the probationary status of PEFC. This will be done as part of a review of the five forest certification schemes first assessed by CPET in 2004. In the meantime, the Government are continuing to accept the PEFC scheme as assuring compliance with Government contract requirements for legal and sustainable timber.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on tackling fuel poverty in England and Wales during 2005-06; how much is proposed to be spent during 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: In 2005-06 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was funded, and spent, over £190 million to tackle fuel poverty. In 2006-07 this figure will increase to over £300 million.
	Most of this funding has been/will be spent on the warm front scheme, which has already assisted more than one million households since its launch in June 2000.
	Fuel poverty is a devolved issue, and responsibility in Wales lies with the Welsh Assembly Government. The primary scheme to assist vulnerable households at risk of fuel poverty is the home energy efficiency scheme, which the Assembly Government funded to the order of £14.1 million in 2005-06 and will fund to the order of £19.6 million in 2006-07.

DEFENCE

Body Armour

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the same body armour is issued to armed forces personnel and visiting journalists in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 11 May 2006
	Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) is standard issue for all personnel serving on operations in Iraq. All civilians visiting Iraq, such as journalists, who are hosted by the Ministry of Defence are afforded the same force protection measures as UK forces and are, therefore, issued with the same ECBA.

Counselling

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many counsellors are employed by each of HM armed forces; and for how many hours per week.

Tom Watson: The Ministry of Defence does not employ counsellors within the armed forces. Advice and support to personnel is available from within the chain of command as well as from specialists such as chaplains, medical staff, uniformed and civilian welfare officers and voluntary agencies.

Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in his Department have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work telephones to access premium rate numbers in each of the last five years.

Des Browne: Information is not held centrally on the number of civil servants in the MOD that have been disciplined and dismissed for inappropriate use of the internet while at work and using work telephones to access premium rate numbers in each of the last five years. Because action on investigating and dealing with disciplinary offences has been delegated to line management in individual MOD business units, it would incur disproportionate cost to collate the requested data. Data for armed forces personnel are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Helicopters

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters UK forces have in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: UK forces have sufficient helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan for the task for which they have deployed, and this level is kept under constant review.
	My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. John Reid) announced the UK force package for Afghanistan on 26 January 2006,  Official Report, column 1529; however, we work in a multi-national environment, in both theatres, and therefore other helicopter assets are available to UK forces. To provide the total number of air assets in each theatre would likely prejudice the security of British forces.

HMS Sheffield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for a permanent commemorative memorial to  (a) the crew of HMS Sheffield and  (b) other Royal Navy personnel on the 25th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Sheffield; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: There are currently no plans for a permanent commemorative memorial for HMS Sheffield, or for the other ships or Royal Navy personnel, lost in the south Atlantic conflict. All those who fell during the conflict will be remembered as part of the official commemorations in 2007. Furthermore, there are plans to construct an armed forces memorial dedicated to members of the UK armed forces killed on duty or by terrorist action since the second world war.

Intelligence Courses

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which sent students to attend  (a) the joint school of photographic interpretation and  (b) the international intelligence directors course in 2004-05.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is being withheld on the grounds that to release it would prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and other states.

Operation Rockingham

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the present functions are of Operation Rockingham; how many staff are employed on it; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Operation Rockingham cell is working on residual issues relating to Iraqi WMD and analysing the lessons learned from the Iraq survey group deployment. It consists of three people (two part-time and one full-time).

RNAS Yeovilton

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans for RNAS Yeovilton.

Adam Ingram: RNAS Yeovilton is the main operating base for the Royal Navy's Lynx and commando helicopter forces and, despite the departure of the Sea Harrier in March of this year, it is still the UK's largest (by aircraft number) and busiest military airfield.
	In 2004 the RAF-led defence airfield review (DAR) identified irreducible spare capacity at RNAS Yeovilton which could be exploited. Following publication of the review's report in May 2004, a number of working groups were formed to take the detailed work forward. The issue of spare capacity at RNAS Yeovilton is being considered by the programme belvedere working group. programme belvedere is responsible for the joint helicopter command basing element of DAR and is currently examining options for the basing of all of the Department's current and future battlefield helicopters. No decisions have yet been made, but the effect of any changes on the local community will be taken into consideration as part of the analysis.
	The Royal Navy has recently announced the relocation of 727 Naval Air Squadron from Plymouth Roborough airport to RNAS Yeovilton. As part of its task, the squadron provides air experience flying (AEF) opportunities for younger members of the public. A recent review of AEF concluded that the relocation to RNAS Yeovilton will offer a greater selection of AEF to a much wider audience. The relocation will also result in a small increase in employment opportunities in the local area.

Sea King Helicopters

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Sea King helicopters are serving with the Royal Navy; how many are fully operational; how many are non-operational; and what time period is required to bring those which are non-operational into front-line service.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 3 May 2006
	As at April 2006 the number of Sea King helicopters serving with the Royal Navy was 69, of which 50 were operational and 19 non-operational. Operational is defined as those Sea King helicopters that are in the forward fleet and non-operational as those in the depth fleet. The time period to bring individual Sea King helicopters through depth maintenance ranges from three to six months.
	It is our policy not to have the whole fleet available to support the front line at all times. An ongoing programme of maintenance and repair is necessary to ensure that helicopters are kept in an appropriate state of repair to meet operational requirements.

Hospital Treatment

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are in place for injured service personnel to receive family visits.

Des Browne: holding answer 27 April 2006
	Our priority is to provide the most appropriate medical care to injured personnel, and to give them the peace and quiet needed to allow a speedy recovery. We recognise that the emotional support provided by friends and family is of key importance to our injured soldiers, and visit arrangements for their relatives are managed by the welfare officer of the individual's unit.
	The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM), Birmingham, has allocated six rooms in one wing of the hospital for relatives of service personnel who are listed "Very Seriously Ill" (VSI) or "Seriously Ill" (SI) where relatives can stay whilst visiting a patient. These rooms are provided free. Depending on availability, RCDM also allow families and/or relatives of non-listed patients to stay in these rooms, but the priority is of course for the relatives of VSI/SI-listed patients.
	One exception to this is that the University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust do not allow children under 16 to stay in this accommodation. This is in line with the practices of the trust concerning child protection issues, since the accommodation contains communal facilities which are deemed inappropriate for children as they are used by other adults staying in the accommodation. RCDM therefore can also provide a list of local bed-and-breakfast accommodation which has been inspected by Defence Medical Welfare Services. If there is a medical recommendation that relatives of a patient should stay with them, the MOD provides travel and subsistence costs for two relatives for up to seven days, although this can be extended if medical advice recommends it. If patients are not listed as VSI or SI, the individual's regiment can also pay for family travel. Such decisions are made at individual regiment level.
	The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court also has a facility where family members visiting patients can stay. Costs for this facility are met by DMRC.

Submarines (Pollution)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the levels of radioactive pollution on foreshores close to the locations of Z berths  (a) in Portsmouth harbour and  (b) elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) Environmental Sciences Department monitors the level of radioactive pollution on foreshores close to the locations of Z berths as part of its wider marine environmental survey programme, the findings from which are published annually. Z Berths are monitored on a regular basis of between one and five years depending on their location. The Portsmouth Z berth is normally monitored every two years.
	DSTL's November 2005 report, entitled "Marine Environmental Radioactivity Surveys at Nuclear Submarine Berths 2004", includes information on samples taken in Portsmouth harbour. The report concluded that there was no radiological hazard to the public during 2004 as a result of operational nuclear-powered submarines. Copies of the report will be made available in the Library of the House.

Unspent Budget

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the budget for his Department remained unspent in the 2005-06 financial year.

Adam Ingram: We shall publish figures as soon as they are available. Provisional figures will appear in the Public Expenditure Provisional Outturn which will be published around the middle of July and audited figures in our Annual Report and Accounts which is planned for publication before the summer recess.

Urban Warfare (Training)

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the amount of training army units have received in all-arms urban warfare in recent years.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 November 2005,  Official Report, column 563W, to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram).
	It is assessed that all infantry units receive sufficient urban warfare training in accordance with the collective training levels required of their formation commanders.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of thestaff in her Department is  (a) male,  (b) female and (c) disabled, broken down by grade.

David Lammy: The percentage of staff in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport who are (a) male,  (b) female and  (c) disabled as at 31 December 2005, broken down by grade is as follows. (Data on disability are collected on a voluntary self-declaration basis.)
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Grade  Male  Female  Disabled( 1) 
			 SCS 70 30 — 
			 A/A Upper 59 41 — 
			 B 51 49 — 
			 C 46 54 — 
			 D 37 63 8 
			 (1) As the Department has less than five disabled members of staff within the grades SCS to C we are unable to give further information on grounds of confidentiality.

Millennium Projects

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of24 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 1358-59W, on millennium projects, if she will collect information on the performance of each project; and what monitoring of the performance of each project is undertaken.

Richard Caborn: Like all lottery distributing bodies, the Millennium Commission takes decisions independently on which projects to support with national lottery proceeds. Under Financial Directions from the Department, the Commission is required to undertake appropriate monitoring and evaluation of projects to make sure that, among other things, lottery funds are being used for the purposes intended, that they represent value for money and that they are delivering the benefits identified in the application to the Commission. Under the Directions, a report on monitoring and evaluation studies carried out by or for the Commission must be included in the Commission's annual report to Parliament.
	In view of the Commission's independent status, the Department does not collect information on, or separately monitor the performance of, its projects.

Recruitment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: The Department and its agency does not separately identify the cost of recruitment, search and selection agencies from other recruitment costs. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Television Licences

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether those who do not have a television set are required to inform Television Licensing that they do not require a TV licence.

Shaun Woodward: A television licence is required to install or use a television receiver, as defined in regulations made by the Secretary of State, rather than a television set. Members of the public who do not require a television licence are under no obligation to inform TV Licensing of the fact.

Television Licences

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the  (a) Department of Trade and Industry and  (b) Department for Work and Pensions on the decision to stop selling television licences through the Post Office;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the BBC's decision to stop selling television licences through the Post Office;
	(3)  what discussions her Department has had with the BBC on the decision to stop selling television licences through the Post Office;
	(4)  if she will list the different ways that viewers are able to purchase television licences;
	(5)  how many and what proportion of television licences were bought through the Post Office in the last period for which figures are available;
	(6)  what the average annual cost to the Government of selling television licences through the Post Office has been over the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The award of the contract for over the counter sales of television licences is a commercial matter for the BBC as television licensing authority. The Government have no power to intervene in such matters, nor would it be appropriate to comment on the corporation's decision. The Secretary of State has not therefore discussed the matter with Cabinet colleagues but DCMS officials have liaised with the DTI to keep them informed of developments. Officials were informed by the BBC of the proposal to put the contract out to tender and were notified by the corporation prior to the announcement of the award of the contract.
	The BBC, as licensing authority, bears the costs of licence fee collection direct. The Government have not incurred any costs relating to the sale of television licences through the Post Office since 1991.
	As regards the different ways in which the television licence can be paid and the number and proportion of licences currently brought through the Post Office, I have asked the BBC's head of revenue management to consider the questions raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Tourism

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to promote tourism in south-east London.

Shaun Woodward: DCMS supports the tourism industry as a whole. South-east London benefits from my Department's funding for VisitBritain, which for 2006-07 includes £35.5 million for marketing Britain as a tourism destination overseas, and £12.4 million for marketing England to the domestic tourism market.
	Responsibility for tourism policy in London has been devolved to the Mayor and the Greater London Authority (GLA), which works with the London Development Agency (LDA) and Visit London. My Department contributes £1.9 million to the GLA in support of this role and the LDA spent a total of around £24 million supporting tourism in 2005-06, including over £11 million on tourism marketing and promotion for London and its sub-regions. In south-east London, this includes working with South London Business and TourEast London to deliver market research and other business support.

Tourism

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government funding has been allocated to promote tourism to the south-west in 2006-07; and how much has been allocated to regional development agencies to promote tourism in the south-west in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) supports the tourism industry as a whole. The south-west benefits from my Department's funding for VisitBritain, which for 2006-07 includes £35.5 million for marketing Britain as a tourism destination overseas, and £12.4 million for marketing England to the domestic tourism market.
	The regional development agencies (RDAs) took on strategic responsibility for tourism in the regions in 2003. Since then DCMS has contributed £3.6 million each year to the single pot in support of this role, which is allocated to the RDAs according to the Department for Trade and Industry's single pot funding formula.
	All RDAs, including the south-west regional development agency (SWRDA), recognise the importance of the visitor economy to their regions. SWRDA has allocated £2.2 million to direct support for the industry in 2006-07, including marketing, as well as a further £500,000 for tourism skills development and £500,000 towards a regional data management system and the development of EnglandNet.
	Before 2003-04, DCMS grant in aid passed to the English Tourism Council and was then allocated to the regional tourist boards, including South West Tourism, which was allocated £663,000 in 2002-03, £814,000 in 2001-02 and £563,000 in 2000-01.

Tourism

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total expenditure by Visit Britain was in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: VisitBritain is responsible for promoting Britain to the rest of the world and England to the British.
	Expenditure is funded by grant in aid provided by DCMS and non government funding raised by VisitBritain in relation to its marketing and promotion activities.
	
		
			  Total expenditure 
			  £ million 
			   Grant funded expenditure  Non grant funded expenditure  Total expenditure 
			 2001-02 49.7 15.7 65.4 
			 2002-03 53.8 21.6 75.4 
			 2003-04 48.4 19.5 67.9 
			 2004-05 48.4 15.5 63.9 
			 2005-06 48.9 21.5 70.4 
		
	
	Additional amounts of £14.2 million in 2001-02, and £19 million in 2002-03, were allocated from the reserve to help the tourism sector to recover from the impacts of the foot and mouth outbreak, and the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made in providing alternative sources of income through humanitarian aid for poppy growers in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: DFID's focus in Afghanistan has changed from mainly humanitarian assistance in 2002 to an approach now looking to secure long-term development.
	The UK is playing a major role in supporting the development of legal livelihood opportunities in Afghanistan. In 2005-06, DFID spent almost£50 million for this purpose. In 2006-07 the level of spending is expected to continue at similar levels.
	DFID is a major supporter to the National Solidarity Programme, which has helped nearly 7,000 villages prioritise their own development needs, and to plan and implement community-led small scale infrastructure projects. The UK is providing £20 million to the Micro-Finance Investment Support Facility of Afghanistan (MISFA) to provide small loans to the rural poor, particularly women. By funding the National Rural Access Programme (NRAP) the UK is helping those currently dependent on illegal production and processing of drugs, to gain productive employment constructing and repairing essential infrastructure such as roads.
	These projects are complemented by a £3 million fund to develop and promote alternative livelihood options for rural Afghans currently economically dependent on opium poppy. The fund is helping to identify local, national and international market opportunities for alternative crop varieties. Under our support for alternative agricultural livelihoods, 26,500 Afghan farmers have received important agricultural inputs.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received about providing assistance and support for  (a) women's networks,  (b) civil society groups, (c) democracy groups and  (d) organisations working with refugees and internally displaced peoples in Burma.

Gareth Thomas: DFID regularly receives representations about providing assistance and support in Burma to each of these four groups and considers each seriously. For example, in planning a new fund to tackle HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Burma we are carrying out extensive and detailed discussions with opposition groups, civil society groups and other non-governmental organisations. Representations have recently been made at meetings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Burma on 28 February, 19 and 26 April, and the Burma Forum in Brussels on 29 March on behalf of all of these groups, with the greatest emphasis on organisations working with refugees and internally displaced peoples.
	In Rangoon, the regular representations we receive from a wide range of groups are most frequently concerned with providing support to civil society in Burma. I have also recently received representations from a number of members of the House of Commons arguing for increased support to organisations working with refugees and internally displaced people living near the Thai-Burma border. In response to the increased vulnerability of those internally displaced people, DFID is, with the UN and local community leaders, currently assessing the possibility of providing assistance to these internally displaced people through local community mechanisms. Subsequently, DFID will be carrying out a fundamental review of the level and means of our support to internally displaced people and refugees in Burma.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received about providing aid and support for  (a) Burmese refugees living in Thailand,  (b) internally displaced people living on the Thai-Burma border and  (c) vulnerable groups living in Burma.

Gareth Thomas: DFID regularly receives representations about providing assistance and support in Burma to each of these groups and considers each seriously. For example, DFID's support to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) (£500,000 in each of the past two years) is intended to provide vital support to those in prison or in conflict-affected areas and our support to the Thai-Burma Border Consortium (£1,838,705 over three years) is intended to assist Burmese refugees living in Thailand. Representations have recently been made at meetings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Burma on 28 February, 19 and 26 April, and the Burma Forum in Brussels on 29 March on behalf of all of these groups, with the greatest emphasis on internally displaced people living on the Thai-Burma border.
	In Rangoon, the regular representations we receive from a wide range of groups are most frequently concerned with vulnerable groups living in Burma. I have also received recently representations from a number of honourable members arguing for increased support to organisations working with refugees and internally displaced people living near the Thai-Burma border.
	In response to the increased vulnerability of those internally displaced people, DFID is, with the UN and local community leaders, currently assessing the possibility of providing assistance to these internally displaced people through local community mechanisms. Subsequently, DFID will be carrying out a fundamental review of the level and means of our support to internally displaced people and refugees in Burma.

Ethiopia

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to ensure that development funding for basic services in Ethiopia is channelled through non-governmental organisations.

Hilary Benn: We provide aid through non-governmental organisations in Ethiopia and are identifying ways to increase this. But NGOs in Ethiopia do not have the capacity to absorb the amounts of aid required to make significant progress on health and education and the other Millennium Development Goals; only the Government have sufficient reach to provide essential basic services for the entire country. For this reason we are also working with the Government of Ethiopia and other donors to develop a Protection of Basic Services Grant to deliver basic services such as education, health and water to the poor, with appropriate monitoring safeguards.

Malaria

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the use of DDT to tackle malaria; and what recent discussions he has had with international bodies on this matter.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has received no recent representations and has not had any recent discussions with international bodies on the use of DDT to tackle malaria. However DFID does look to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide updated technical information on the most appropriate strategies to control malaria.
	Current WHO guidance is that DDT may be used for mosquito control provided that it is used only for indoor residual spraying (IRS); it is effective; the material is manufactured according to WHO specifications, and the necessary safety precautions are taken for its use and disposal.

Malaria

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the use of DDT on rates of malaria in South Africa.

Hilary Benn: Data for the number of cases of Malaria is available from the South African Department of Health's website (http://www.doh.gov.za/). The following are the official annual figures for the number of malaria cases, the number of deaths and the case fatality rate in South Africa.
	
		
			   Total cases  Total deaths  Case fatality rate 
			 1999 51,444 406 0.8 
			 2000 64,622 458 0.7 
			 2001 26,506 119 0.4 
			 2002 15,649 96 0.6 
			 2003 13,459 142 1 
			 2004 13,399 89 0.6 
			 2005 5,351 40 0.7 
		
	
	Approximately 13 per cent. of the South African population are at risk from endemic malaria, another6 per cent. face the risk of epidemic malaria. The provinces of Mpumulanga, Kwa Zulu-Natal and Limpopo suffer the greatest burden of the disease and it is in these provinces where DDT is used, after its reintroduction in 2001.
	The decline in cases in the table starting in 2001 is noticeable, though there are no reports to substantiate the extent to which this effect was due to the re-introduction of DDT. Both the South African Department of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) propose that it is a cost-effective prevention strategy for the provinces which provides a prevention service for a population of some 4.2 million.
	DDT use was originally stopped in South Africa because of concerns about its environmental impact. It was reintroduced after careful assessment to demonstrate its effective and safe use. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants states that countries should only use DDT for malaria control under guidance from WHO, which South Africa is doing.
	DFID supports the WHO managed Southern Africa Malaria Control Programme, with a grant of£18 million over six years. The project will finish in 2007. WHO has been successful in working with Governments in the region to revise and update their policies concerning all aspects of malaria control, including the safe and effective use of DDT for indoor residual spraying. A significant amount of material can be accessed at http://www.malaria.org.zw/
	WHO is also organising a conference in Brazzaville in June of this year to review experiences in the use of DDT in Africa. DFID has asked to be kept up to date with the lessons and recommendations from this meeting.

Malaria

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the recent report in  The Lancet on the World Bank and malaria treatment.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has carefully reviewed the critical report published in  The Lancet, as well as the World Bank's response in the same issue. As a member of the donor group for the Bank's malaria booster programme DFID will continue to hold the Bank accountable to its commitment to increase its financing to malaria control, and improve the effectiveness of this work.
	In its Global Strategy and Booster Programme on malaria the World Bank recognises that from 2000 to 2005 its investments in malaria control were not sufficient for success on a large scale. DFID is encouraged that new agreements totalling US $62 million made under the Booster programme to DR Congo, Eritrea, Niger and Zambia do represent increased commitment and demonstrate demand from countries for Bank lending for malaria control.
	DFID supports the World Bank's position that countries should be able to define their own drug policies based on local patterns of resistance, and with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), who provide updated technical information on the most appropriate strategies to control malaria. In large countries there may be cause for different policies in different parts of the country.

Malaria

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the World Bank on the use of chloroquine to treat malaria.

Gareth Thomas: As a member of the donor group for the World Bank's booster programme on malaria, DFID is in close contact with World Bank officials on progress in this programme, and issues such as the procurement of drugs that arise with the programme. DFID supports the World Bank's position that countries should be able to define their own drug policies based on local patterns of drug resistance, and with support and technical guidance from specialist agencies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). In large countries there may be cause for different policies in different parts of the country.
	DFID also looks to specialist agencies such as the World Health Organisation to provide international guidance on the choice of antimalarial drugs for malaria treatment programmes. WHO advises that chloroquine is still effective for certain strains of malaria, but when resistance develops artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) should be used, which is more effective and can delay the emergence of resistance.

Malnutrition (Millennium Goals)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of malnutrition on the ability to meet the other Millennium Development Goals.

Gareth Thomas: As highlighted in the recent United Nations (UN) report, "Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition", several key Millennium Development targets may be missed due to nutritional problems of children in developing countries. DFID shares the concerns of the report and is convinced of the critical importance of hunger and malnutrition to achieving, not only the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for hunger (Goal 1), but also to achieving other MDGs.
	Children who are malnourished in their early years never reach their full physical or mental potential, trapping them in poverty. They are less likely to attend school and, when they do, they perform poorly (Goal 2, Education). Women are often disproportionately affected by food shortages as in the family they often eat last and least. Educating girls and ensuring good nutrition empowers women and girls (Goal 3, Gender Equality). Child mortality (Goal 4) is dramatically affected by hunger, and malnutrition is implicated in two thirds of child deaths. A malnourished mother will give birth to a low weight child and is more likely to suffer complications during pregnancy and birth (Goal 5, Maternal Health). Finally, those who are malnourished are more susceptible to disease and are less likely to attend school and be able to afford medicine (Goal 6, Combating Disease).
	DFID is working closely with the UN, other development partners and developing country governments to address the affects of malnutrition on the MDGs. DFID continues to respond to humanitarian needs and has committed £40 million to the immediate relief effort in the Horn of Africa and £67 million to the southern Africa crisis. DFID is also putting in place social protection mechanisms or welfare transfers; cash, food or other forms of in-kind transfers. They provide predictable and long-term assistance for the chronically hungry to help people before a crisis develops. This includes a three-year commitment of£70 million to the Productive Safety Nets Programme which got under way in Ethiopia last year and is helping over 7.2 million people fight hunger and malnutrition.

Malnutrition (Millennium Goals)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects the Millennium Development Goal for reducing rates of child malnutrition to be met.

Hilary Benn: There is no Millennium Development Goal (MDG) which specifically looks at child malnutrition. However, MDG 1 seeks to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and MDG 4 seeks to reduce child mortality. An indicator associated with MDG 1 is to reduce the proportion of underweight children by half and under MDG 4 there is an indicator to reduce the mortality of under five-year-olds by two thirds.
	DFID does not make assessments of when individual goals are likely to be reached. However, we draw on data from the United Nations (UN). For both the indicators mentioned, the UN's latest assessment is that across the developing world as a whole, progress is insufficient to meet the targets by 2015—and in fact both are described as 'lagging far behind'.
	DFID measures its progress against a set of public service agreement (PSA) targets, which tie in to the MDGs. In our 2005-08 PSA, DFID has adopted targets for selected countries in Africa and Asia. We have targets to reduce under-five mortality rates for girls and boys by 24 per 1,000 live births in Asia and by eight per 1,000 live births in Africa.
	Progress against the PSA targets is assessed twice-yearly in DFID's autumn performance reports and departmental reports. The most recent analysis of progress against the PSA targets was published in DFID's departmental report 2006. The target for Asia was judged off track as the number of live births per 1,000 has reduced only by four. It is too early too tell whether the target for Africa will be reached by 2008, though a reduction of four per 1,000 live births has been achieved to date. The departmental report also gives details of how DFID is seeking to improve off track targets.
	The departmental report 2006 was laid before Parliament on 9 May 2006. It is available both in hard copy in the Library of the House of Commons and electronically on DFID's website (http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/departmental-report/default.asp).

Malnutrition (Millennium Goals)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the recent UNICEF report on malnutrition in children; and what steps are being taken by his Department to improve malnutrition rates in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: More than one quarter of all children under the age of five in developing countries are underweight. Poor nutrition contributes to half of the 11 million child deaths each year. Improving nutrition is essential in tackling poverty and is a critical factor in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At international level the UK Government is one of the biggest donors to UNICEF. DFID has worked closely with UNICEF in the development of its health and nutrition strategy.
	UNICEF's "Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition", states that achieving improved nutrition requires action across sectors. DFID's approach to nutrition at country level has always been that it cannot be dealt with in isolation. DFID's support for better nutrition therefore encompasses improved food security, support for agricultural production, fisheries and market access, better water and sanitation, education and strengthening health services for women and children.
	Particular strategies are implemented in areas of high HIV prevalence, following natural disasters and during conflict. To be successful, programmes to improve nutritional status must be integrated into wider country led poverty reduction strategies.

State Failures

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to tackle the indicators of state fragility and failure in Africa identified in the Failed States Index 2006.

Hilary Benn: There is no international agreement on what constitutes state fragility. A common way of estimating fragility is derived from the World Bank's Country Policy and Institutional Assessments (CPIA). CPIA scores divide low-income countries into five categories of performance plus an unranked group. The lowest two categories plus the unranked group are used by DFID and other donors as a list of fragile countries. Our understanding of fragility set out in our January 2005 policy paper 'Why we need to work more effectively in fragile states' is therefore similar to that of the "Failed State Index" but not the same.
	Our policy on fragile states sets out how we can most effectively tackle the challenges and the underlying causes of weakness. Our approach includes support to early warning systems, analysis to understand the underlying political drivers of fragility and the funding of interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of those states where we work. But aid alone is not enough, and we work with others to help ensure that the international system as a whole works together to reduce fragility and address its causes.
	In Africa we are working in the Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Somalia and Sierra Leone—all states identified by the "Failed States Index". In each of these we have tailored our support to best tackle the fragility and support poverty reduction and growth.
	A copy of the 2005 policy paper is available in the Library of the House.

Water Strategies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries the UK is helping to develop their water strategies.

Hilary Benn: DFID is committed to helping achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets of halving the proportion of people without access to safe water and basic sanitation by 2015. Our programmes are focussed on sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, where achieving the target will be most difficult.
	DFID's Water and Sanitation strategy was set out in the 2004 Water Action Plan. This included commitment to doubling spending on water in Africa to £95 million by 2008.
	We are currently actively involved in seven African countries (Ethiopia, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia), and through our funding of other agencies' programmes, we reach many other countries. In Asia, we have significant bilateral programmes on water and sanitation in China, India and Bangladesh. Our large humanitarian programmes in Iraq, Sudan and Afghanistan, also include assistance on provision of water and sanitation. We also provide core funding to the Global Water Partnership which assists countries in developing Integrated Water Resource Management Plans.
	DFID closely monitors progress in water and sanitation and publishes regular updates on the DFID website. The latest update will published this month.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Post Office Card Account

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the progress of the pilot schemes for the migration of Post Office Card Account holders to banking facilities.

James Plaskitt: We ran a number of small-scale pilots between 13 February and 10 March 2006. Now that they have concluded we are evaluating the results. We will share the results with the Post Office, and I will place a summary report of the findings in the Library.

Pathways to Work

Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress is being made in engaging the private and voluntary sector in the Pathways to Work service.

Anne McGuire: Private and voluntary sector providers already play a key role in delivering a number of important programmes within our successful Pathways to Work programme. Their innovative approach has been a significant factor in helping over 21,000 people into work.
	We want to draw further on the expertise and skills of a wide variety of organisations to help us to support people on incapacity benefits in getting back to work.
	That is why we are currently consulting with a range of providers and stakeholders about our Pathways proposals and will announce our plans for future roll-out shortly.

Pathways to Work

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress is being made in engaging the private and voluntary sector in the Pathways to Work service.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 3 May 2006
	Private and voluntary sector providers currently play a key role in delivering a number of important programmes within our Pathways to Work pilots—notably New Deal for Disabled People and many of the other programmes in the 'Choices' package.
	Discussions are continuing on how we can further draw on the expertise and skills of a wide variety of organisations that can help us to get people off incapacity benefits and back into work. We are consulting with a range of providers and other stakeholders about our proposals and intend to announce our plans for future roll-out shortly.

Benefits

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) income support and  (c) incapacity benefit claims later determined to be fraudulent in London in each year since 1997, broken down by London borough; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 9 March 2006
	The information is not available.

Benefits

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on progress in reducing benefit fraud.

James Plaskitt: In 2004-05 fraud across the benefit system was estimated to be less that 1 per cent. of total benefit expenditure at around 900 million; which is less than 1 billion for the first time since systematic measurement of fraud began.
	We have firm targets to reduce fraud and error in the benefits which are most vulnerable to fraud. The target for reducing fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance for working age people was33 per cent. by March 2004, and 50 per cent. by March 2006. National Statistics published in December 2005 show that by March 2005, we had reduced fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance by 44 per cent. Looking at fraud alone, this has reduced by more than two thirds compared to the 1998 baseline figure of 10.4 per cent.
	We have set a challenging target to reduce levels of housing benefit fraud and error for working age claimants by 25 per cent. by 2006, and to maintain the 25 per cent. reduction by March 2008 against the 2002-03 baseline year. National Statistics published in January 2006 shows that by March 2005, housing benefit fraud has fallen by around 30 per cent. over a two-year period. However, over the same period there has been a 40 per cent. increase in customer error. The net effect of this is that fraud and error for working age claimants is now reported to be 2 per cent. above the baseline.
	We are also taking steps to reduce customer error. We have an on-going programme of addressing complexity in benefits to make benefit rules easier and simpler for our customers to understand. Our processes and customer handling methods aim to make the claim making process straightforward thus lessening the opportunities for customers to make mistakes or leave out important information.
	This shows we are getting results in preventing, detecting and deterring fraud. We have achieved this by a variety of methods. In 2004-05, through improved data matching, nearly 300,000 data anomalies were identified. The Targeting Fraud campaign has helped to increase public awareness of the problem of fraud. We now have a more appropriate sanctions regime. In 2004-05, in partnership with local authorities, we imposed nearly 43,000 prosecutions and sanctionsmore than ever before and a fourfold increase since 1998. We have tightened our procedures to root out identity fraud. People are now required to verify their identity before they are allocated a national insurance number or have access to the benefits system. We have maintained the National Benefit Fraud Hotline, and for every 1 spent on its running costs, we identify overpayments of over 9 in defrauded benefit.
	Despite these good results, we are not complacent and will maintain this hard work. Our efforts in the future will focus on using new technology available to us to stop fraud earlier before it enters the benefit system; increasing our ability to data match to include data from the private sector; exploring the use of new technologies, such as voice risk analysis; the proposed identity card, which will be a useful tool to combat identity and other frauds by verifying identity more effectively; continuing to warn fraudsters and potential fraudsters through the Targeting Benefit Fraud campaign and maintaining the National Benefit Fraud Hotline.

Benefits

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single parents in each ward in Doncaster North received income support on average in  (a) 1984,  (b) 1994,  (c) 2004 and  (d) the most recent year for which figures are available; and what proportion of all single parents this represented in each case.

James Plaskitt: Income support data is not available at ward level prior to August 1999. The available information for lone parents in receipt of income support is in the table.
	
		
			  Lone parents on income support (IS), by ward in Doncaster, North parliamentary constituency 
			   November 2004  November2005 
			  Ward name  Lone parents on IS  Proportion of lone parents (%)  Lone parents on IS  Proportion of lone parents (%) 
			 Adwick 330 59.8 325 58.9 
			 Askern 135 44.6 145 47.9 
			 Bentley, Central 295 67.7 300 68.8 
			 Bentley North Road 145 47.1 135 43.8 
			 Stainforth 245 58.9 215 51.7 
			 Thorne 310 55.7 295 53.0 
			  Notes: 1. Claimant numbers have been rounded to a multiple of five, percentages to one decimal place. 2. IS lone parents includes people claiming income support who are single with dependents and not in receipt of a pensioner or disability premium. 3. Proportions have been calculated using the total number of lone parents from the 2001 census. 4. Doncaster, North constituency contains the six wards specified, which are based on 2003 ward boundaries.  Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2006,  Official Report, column 719W, what year his Department published Paying for Rented Housing: Non-Dependant Deductions from Housing Benefit; and if he will commission an exercise to update this research.

James Plaskitt: The research Paying for Rented Housing: Non-Dependant Deductions from Housing Benefit was published as (then) Department of Social Security Research Report no. 43 in 1996. There are currently no plans to commission an update to this research.

Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2006,  Official Report, column 234W, on housing benefit sanctions, when he expects to make a decision on who he will be consulting informally on his plans to use sanctions to ensure that those who are evicted for antisocial behaviour take up the help offered to them; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: As set out in my response of 10 March, we are currently assessing the use of sanctions to ensure that those households who are evicted for antisocial behaviour take up help offered to them more fully, before deciding who to consult and whether to legislate.

Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions there were for refusals to pay back housing benefit overpayments in each year since 2000-01, broken down by local authority.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit compensation payments were ordered in each year since 2000-01, broken down by local authority.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available as it is not centrally collated.

Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the total cost was of housing benefit overpayments recovered by  (a) payments made under compensation orders,  (b) payments made as a result of civil proceedings and  (c) payments made with legal process in each year since 2000-01, broken down by local authority;
	(2)  what the total cost was of housing benefit overpayments written off as irrecoverable in each local authority in each year since 2000-01, broken down by  (a) benefit claimant and  (b) landlord.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.

Benefits

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) non-UK and  (b) UK citizens received unemployment benefits in each London borough in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available; no record is kept of claimants' nationalities.

Child Support

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether the Child Support Agency deposited funds owed to Mrs. Joanna Stephenson, ref. PCU/154933, into an escrow account pending completion of the inquiry to determine why she has not received the moneys paid by her former husband;
	(2)  when Child Support Agency (CSA) payments to Mrs. Joanna Stephenson, ref. PCU/154933, will resume; when she will receive funds collected by the CSA since November 2002; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  why the Child Support Agency (CSA) case of Mrs. Joanna Stephenson, ref. PCU/154933, ceased in November 2002; and if the CSA will pay compensation for errors in dealing with the case.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently unavailable, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions three Parliamentary Questions regarding one of your constituents, case number 3210019483335. As all three questions relate to the same constituent, I will provide a joint response.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case.

Income Support

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single parents in Easington constituency were in receipt of income support in each year between 2001 and 2005; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Lone parents in receipt of income support in the Easington parliamentary constituency 
			   Number of lone parents 
			 November 2001 1,440 
			 November 2002 1,330 
			 November 2003 1,260 
			 November 2004 1,190 
			 November 2005 1,190 
			  Notes:  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Single parents are defined as single claimants with dependants aged under 60 and not receiving IB/SDA.   Source:  DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS).

Income Support

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single parents in Coventry South were in receipt of income support in each year between 2001 and 2005; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Lone parents in receipt of income support in the Coventry South parliamentary constituency: each November 2001 to 2005 
			   Number 
			 2001 1,550 
			 2002 1,540 
			 2003 1,550 
			 2004 1,540 
			 2005 1,520 
			  Notes:  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Figures are based on 100 per cent. data.  3. Single parents are defined as single claimants with dependants aged under 60 and not receiving IB or SDA.  4. Parliamentary constituency is allocated by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.   Source:  Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS)

Jobseeker's Allowance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many 16 and 17-year-olds are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in each London borough.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 16 and 17 years by London borough: March 2006 
			   Number 
			 City of London ? 
			 Barking and Dagenham 70 
			 Barnet 25 
			 Bexley 45 
			 Brent 35 
			 Bromley 40 
			 Camden 45 
			 Croydon 80 
			 Ealing 10 
			 Enfield 35 
			 Greenwich 95 
			 Hackney 70 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 35 
			 Haringey 45 
			 Harrow 10 
			 Havering 35 
			 Hillingdon 30 
			 Hounslow 30 
			 Islington 45 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 10 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 10 
			 Lambeth 65 
			 Lewisham 90 
			 Merton 15 
			 Newham 50 
			 Redbridge 20 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 10 
			 Southwark 80 
			 Sutton 30 
			 Tower Hamlets 40 
			 Waltham Forest 65 
			 Wandsworth 15 
			 Westminster, City of 15 
			  Notes:  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.  2. Jobseeker's allowance figures are not seasonally adjusted.   Source:  Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (excluding clerically held cases).

Jobseeker's Allowance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in each London borough received jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants by London borough: at March each year, 2001 to 2006. 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 City of London 75 94 95 104 101 87 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,009 3,002 3,329 3,612 3,771 3,965 
			 Barnet 4,514 5,137 5,852 5,394 5,205 5,398 
			 Bexley 2,600 2,656 2,959 2,817 2,907 3,193 
			 Brent 6,565 8,098 8,255 8,201 7,965 7,941 
			 Bromley 3,202 3,676 3,967 3,963 3,9$5 3,891 
			 Camden 5,561 5,991 6,019 5,771 5,571 5,614 
			 Croydon 6,057 6,456 6,783 5,969 6,312 6,381 
			 Ealing 5,198 6,123 6,303 6,160 5,898 6,184 
			 Enfield 5,736 5,567 5,837 6,053 6,0?7 6,732 
			 Greenwich 5,950 6,119 6,075 6,096 5,965 6,199 
			 Hackney 8,240 7,897 8,557 8,112 7,660 7,984 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,285 4,521 4,856 4,382 3,964 3,918 
			 Haringey 8,169 7,693 7,875 7,802 7,695 8,302 
			 Harrow 2,327 2,783 2,984 3,250 3,127 3,186 
			 Havering 2,496 2,371 2,640 2,467 2,495 2,744 
			 Hillingdon 2,423 3,035 3,523 3,768 3,842 3,793 
			 Hounslow 2,129 2,998 3,356 3,385 3,288 3,679 
			 Islington 6,534 6,495 6,533 6,465 5,846 6,310 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,922 3,005 3,189 2,880 2,517 2,684 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1,235 1,510 1,787 1,688 1,670 1,476 
			 Lambeth 10,312 11,042 10,825 10,172 10,019 9,543 
			 Lewisham 8,068 8,333 8,471 7,923 7,539 7,855 
			 Merton 2,344 2,723 3,138 2,952 2,966 3,065 
			 Newham 7,659 7,765 7,938 7,430 7,293 8,391 
			 Redbridge 3,776 4,034 4,260 4,055 4,143 4,627 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 1,437 1,767 2,060 1,897 1,708 1,659 
			 Southwark 9,011 9,528 9,744 9,457 9,085 8,746 
			 Sutton 1,564 1,810 2,021 2,022 2,153 2,331 
			 Tower Hamlets 7,893 7,973 8,350 8,328 7,746 8,427 
			 Waltham Forest 5,541 5,955 6,079 6,112 6,469 6,574 
			 Wandsworth 5,101 5,790 5,785 5,433 5,305 5,260 
			 Westminster, City of 4,512 4,669 4,555 4,236 3,972 4,117 
			  Notes:  1. Jobseeker's allowance caseload figures are unrounded.  2. Jobseeker's allowance figures are not seasonally adjusted.   Source:  Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases).

Parliamentary Questions

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to question 53502, on Remploy, tabled by the hon. Member for Caerphilly for answer on 27 February 2006.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 26 April 2006,  Official Report, column 1143-44W.

Parliamentary Questions

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to question  (a) 47075 and  (b) 47074, on his Department's buildings in Lytham St. Annes, tabled by the hon. Member for Fylde on 26 January 2006.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 26 April 2006,  Official Report, column 1139-40W.

Single Room Rent Restrictions

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people were in receipt of single room rent restricted housing benefit on 1 April in each year since its introduction.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available in the format requested. Data is produced quarterly in February, May, August and November each year; the available information as at May each year is in the table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients assessed under the single room rent scheme: Great Britain 
			  As at May:  
			 1997 31,600 
			 1998 33,240 
			 1999 24,790 
			 2000 17,920 
			 2001 14,420 
			 2002 11,020 
			 2003 10,650 
			 2004 11,010 
			 2005 11,990 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest ten.  2. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.  Source:  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in May 1997 to May 2005.

Single Room Rent Restrictions

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single room rent restriction determinations there were in each year since October 1996.

James Plaskitt: The available information for single room rent determinations in England is in the table.
	
		
			   Number of referrals with Rent Officer single room rent restriction determination  Number of referrals with Rent Officer single room rent restriction determinations, where single room rent restriction is binding restriction 
			 1997-98 101,300 85,000 
			 1998-99 84,900 69,100 
			 1999-2000 65,000 53,200 
			 2000-01 52,100 43,800 
			 2001-02 44,500 37,500 
			 2002-03   
			 2003-04 48,100 37,700 
			 2004-05 44,800 35,000 
			  Notes: 1. A reliable estimate of the number of Rent Officer determinations in 2002-03 is not available due to data limitations.  2. The table presents both the number of referrals assessed under the single room rent restriction and the number of referrals where this restriction is binding. Some referrals assessed under the single room rent restriction will be bound by other Rent Officer restrictions and some will not have their rent restricted. 3. The numbers of referrals are rounded to the nearest hundred.  Source:  Rent Officer data, England from 1997-98 to 2004-05.

Single Room Rent Restrictions

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will amend the housing benefit regulations in line with the recommendation in the departmental research report number 243 that all care leavers and disabled people should be exempted from the single room rent restriction.

James Plaskitt: Our Green Paper A New Deal for Welfare: Empowering People to Work sets out our proposals for extending the local housing allowance (LHA) across the private rented sector. The LHA scheme replaces the single room rent with a new shared room rate, which is based on a broader definition of shared properties. We will continue to look at the operation of the shared room rate as we move forward with housing benefit reform, but the underlying principles of the rate, that of encouraging work, remain.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

EU Arms Embargo

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the European Union on the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: There have been no recent representations made to the European Council on lifting the EU arms embargo on China. The European Council decided in December 2003 to review the EU Arms Embargo on China. This review is ongoing and it was last discussed by EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on13 December 2005. There is no consensus at present in the EU for lifting the embargo. The Government continue to fully implement the embargo.

EU Reform

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is her Department's policy to endorse the EU Commission's call for a declaration of commitment to future institutional reform; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The UK welcomes the communication from the Commission A Citizens Agenda Delivering Results for Europe. The communication stresses that the EU should now be focusing on practical policies which deliver practical results to citizens, and on the economic reforms needed to make the EU competitive in today's global economy.
	The Commission recognises that there is as yet no consensus on the constitutional treaty and underlines the need to concentrate on delivery. The Government are open to the idea of a political declaration setting out Europe's values and ambitions and believe that the real challenge ahead for the next year is delivering on the policy agenda.

Kifle Tigneh Abate

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the trial of Kifle Tigneh Abate has begun in Addis Ababa; what representations she made to the Ethiopian Government prior to the trial; and what reports her Department has received from Michael Ellman, the international observer of the trial.

Ian McCartney: The trial of Kifle Tigneh Abate started on 10 May in parallel with the trial of other Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) members. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development and our ambassador in Addis Ababa have made representations to the Ethiopian Government about the trial of the CUD party leadership including Kifle Tigneh Abate. They asked that the courts deal with the charges fairly, quickly and transparently in accordance with international standards.
	We have not yet received a report from Michael Ellman, who is acting on behalf of the European Union.

Russia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work her Department is undertaking with civil society groups in Russia to tackle racism and racial violence.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to actively co-operate with civil society groups in Russia to promote human rights. Between 2003 and 2006 we have supported the following racial tolerance projects:
	 National Associations and Local Media: Co-operation or Confrontation?
	Project duration: April 2006 to May 2007
	Project aim: Develop contacts between youth leaders of national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Urals region and local media to promote balanced media coverage of ethnic issues.
	Implementing partner: International Information Centre
	Project cost: 5,190
	Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
	 Promotion of Racial Tolerance in St. Petersburg
	Project duration: 1 September 2006 to 30 November 2006
	Project aim: Achieve higher public recognition of the importance of tolerance towards ethnic and cultural minorities and broader acceptance of the value of diversity, particularly by the younger generation, drawing from the positive experience of the UK in promoting diversity and building relationships between different ethnic communities and the authorities.
	Implementing partners: Fund for the Development of Peter  Paul Fortress, Association of Photo Correspondents of the Union of Journalists of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Institute of Law and the Youth Information Centre.
	Project costs: 25,000
	Fund: Public Diplomacy Challenge Fund.
	 From Heart to Heart
	Project duration: April 2005 to September 2006
	Project aim: Develop ethnic tolerance in Ekaterinburg through increasing awareness of national cultures and traditions.
	Implementing partner: Pervouralsk XXI Century
	Project cost: 2,900
	Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
	 Defending Roma Rights
	Project duration: July 2005 to June 2006
	Project aim: To challenge the use of hate speech in the media, particularly with regard to the Roma community.
	Implementing partner: European Roma Rights Centre
	Project cost: 26,300
	Fund: Global Opportunities Fund.
	 Creating of 'The International Information Portal'
	Project duration: April 2005 to February 2006
	Project aim: Create an internet resource that will collect information about history, culture, rights and freedoms of ethnic groups in the Ural region. Promote the results of hate speech monitoring 'the language of hostility' in mass media.
	Implementing partner: International Information Center
	Project cost: 1,130
	Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
	 Training in Multi-cultural Education of Young People
	Project duration: December 2005 to February 2006
	Project aim: Train professionals working with children and teenagers in promoting ethnic, racial and cultural diversity and tolerance.
	Implementing partner: St. Petersburg Youth Information Centre
	Project costs: 3,650
	Fund: Devolved Directorate Programme Budget.
	 Ethnic Minorities and Access to Justice
	Project duration: September 2003 to December 2005
	Project aim: Improve community policing through a joint programme between ethnic minority representatives and local police in Moscow, Samara, Krasodar and Ekaterinburg. Drawing on the experience of UK police forces.
	Implementing partner: European Dialogue
	Project cost: 103,285
	Fund: Global Opportunities Fund.
	 School of Tolerance (a youth camp for children of different ethnic origin in the Pskov region, North-West Russia)
	Project duration: 4 to 24 July 2005
	Project aim: Bring together children of different ethnic origin and social positions, including refugees, to give them first-hand experience of living in a diverse multi-cultural society. Raise their awareness of issues such as human rights and tolerance and give them communication and leadership skills.
	Implementing partner: 'Pskovskaya Glubinka' NGO
	Project costs: 2,996.65
	Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
	 Training of Trainers in Human Rights and Tolerance Issues (workshop for teachers of Pskov oblast, North-West Russia)
	Project duration: March 2005
	Project aim: Promote human rights and the values of tolerance among teachers and give them practical skills to disseminate this information among their students.
	Implementing partner: 'Pskovskaya Glubinka' with support from Amnesty International
	Project costs: 3,709.38
	Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.

Trade Deals

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1676W, on trade deals, how many bilateral trade negotiations the European Commission has  (a) conducted and  (b) signed on behalf of the UK in each of the last eight years.

Geoff Hoon: The European Commission has competence for EU trade policy and conducts all trade negotiations on behalf of, and on the basis of a mandate from, EU member states.
	Within the last eight years, and in addition to the trade agreements relating to enlargement of the EU, the following EU trade agreements have entered into force: Mexico, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Croatia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Chile, South Africa and the Cotonou Agreement (with 77 Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries).
	Negotiations are ongoing with Mercosur, the Gulf Co-operation Council, Turkey and Albania, and on Economic Partnership Agreements (which will replace the Cotonou Agreement). Signature of an Association Agreement with Syria is pending.
	A comprehensive list of EU trade agreements currently under negotiation or which have already been concluded can be found on the Europa website:
	http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2005/july/tradoc_ 111588.pdf

NORTHERN IRELAND

Advertising Review

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of27 March 2006,  Official Report, column 699W, on recruitment advertising, when he expects the Government advertising review to be published.

David Hanson: The final report on the review of Government advertising in Northern Ireland was published on 14 April this year. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.

Ambulances

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the  (a) facilities and  (b) extent of cover planned for the new ambulance station on the west bank of the Foyle in Derry; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (MAS) currently operates from 32 locations throughout Northern Ireland but has identified additional sites from which to deploy ambulances to improve response times for life threatening emergency calls. One of the first of those sites is shared with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Station at Northland Road on the Foyle West Bank and became operational earlier this month.
	Initially, one ambulance from Altnagelvin Station will be assigned to Northland Road during daytime hours seven days per week and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. In addition, when Altnagelvin has more than one ambulance available and the Northland Road location requires cover, the additional vehiclewill be dynamically deployed there. The effectivenessof these arrangements will be reviewed after one month's operation and regularly thereafter. However, preliminary information suggests that ambulance response times have improved in the West of Derry City since the Northland Road site became operational.

Arterial Routes (South Down)

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to improve the main arterial routes from the constituency of South Down to the Belfast/Dublin corridor.

David Cairns: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 12 May 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about steps to improve the main arterial routes from the constituency of South Down to the Belfast/Dublin corridor.
	I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	You may recall that in my letter to you dated 19 December 2005, I advised that these routes are assessed to be the A50 through Katesbridge, the A25 through Rathfriland, the A25/B8 through Hilltown and the A2 through Kilkeel, Rostrevor and Warrenpoint.
	The information I provided then of the improvement works currently planned with the estimated costs has been updated as follows:-
	A50road realignment at Corbet Lough in 2006/07 and 2007/08 at a cost of 375,000;
	A25the junction improvements scheme at Burrenreagh Road, Castlewellan due in 2005/067 at a cost of 40,000 has been delayed until 2006/07 due to difficulties with land acquisition;
	A25road realignment and visibility improvement at Burrenbridge Road, Castlewellan in 2006/07 at a cost of 100,000;
	A25the resurfacing at Windsor Hill, Newry in 2006/07 at a cost of 65,000 has been delayed due to ongoing work by utilities;
	A25junction improvements at Moneygore Road, Rathfriland in 2007/08 at a cost of 20,000;
	B8road realignment and visibility improvement at Crobane on Hilltown Road, Newry, in 2006/07 at a cost of 400,000;
	B8a resurfacing scheme in 2006/07 at Castlewellan Road, Hilltown at a cost of 160,000; and
	A2the junction signals scheme at Moor Road, Kilkeel due in 2005/06 at a cost of 90,000 has been delayed until 2006/07 due to difficulties with land acquisition.
	The routes A2, A25, and B2 will also benefit from junction improvements as a result of the Al Beech Hill to Cloghogue, Newry dualling scheme. This work is currently scheduled to start in 2007.

Business Improvements Districts

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce legislation to enable the introduction of business improvements districts in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Given the changes expected to arise from the Review of Public Administration (RPA) and the likelihood of a number of regeneration functions transferring to local government, the Government consider that it would not be appropriate to proceed with legislation to introduce BIDs in Northern Ireland at this time. In addition, the legislative time scale for bringing forward proposals for RPA preclude the opportunity to bring forward BIDs legislation for some time yet.

Code of Sustainable Building

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Government plans to implement the Code of Sustainable Building in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The implementation of the voluntary Code for Sustainable Homes in Northern Ireland will be informed by the implementation plans for the Sustainable Development Strategy for NI which was launched by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 9 May; revisions planned for the code following the consultation exercise which was completed in England in March 2006; and following limited consultation with the local construction industry and other stakeholders, which is scheduled to commence at the next meeting of the Construction Industry Forum for Northern Ireland in June 2006.

Communications

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the percentage of communications between the general public and the Department for the Environment for Northern Ireland made  (a) by post,  (b) by telephone,  (c) in person and  (d) by e-mail during 2005.

David Cairns: It is not possible to provide the hon. Member with the answer in the format he has requested.
	I am advised that of the 633 pieces of correspondence received in the Minister of the Environment's Private Office during 2005 nearly 97 per cent. was in the form of a letter and just over 3 per cent. was by e-mail. No records are kept of the contact made either in-person or by telephone.

Community Differentials

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what targets have been set for reducing the community differentials between Catholics and Protestants in relation to  (a) economic inactivity,  (b) unemployment and  (c) housing allocation.

David Hanson: The report of the task force on employability and long-term unemployment included a number of performance indicators and targets relating to employment and economic activity. A progress report was published in December 2004. There are no targets for reducing differentials between Catholics and Protestants in respect of housing allocation. All social housing is allocated on the basis of need.
	We remain committed to eliminating the differentials in unemployment rates between the two communities and will take into account recent information and research. Government continue to direct resources and effort of those in greatest need in a way that will reduce social economic differentials between different sectors of society, and will monitor progress. I have arranged for copies of the documents to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Consumer Advice Handbook

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many copies of the Consumer Advice Handbook have been produced by the Consumer Council in Northern Ireland in 2006.

Maria Eagle: 10,000 copies were produced in 2006.

Counterfeit Money

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many convictions have been secured in Northern Ireland against people involved in  (a) handling and  (b) producing counterfeit money in the last five years.

David Hanson: The number of convictions for handling and producing counterfeit money are included in Table 1 and cover the calendar years 1999 to 2003. Data beyond 2003 are not yet available. Figures are based on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of convictions for handling and producing counterfeit money 1999-2003 
			   Handling( 1)  Producing( 2)  Total convictions for counterfeiting offences 
			 1999 19 6 25 
			 2000 14 1 15 
			 2001 16 1 17 
			 2002 26 2 28 
			 2003 16 1 17 
			 (1) Convictions include the offences of tendering counterfeit currency, possessing counterfeit currency with intent to use and possessing counterfeit currency.  (2) Convictions include the offences of counterfeiting and counterfeiting with intent to use.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of staff in each department in Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Office, is  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) Protestant,  (d) Roman Catholic and  (e) disabled, broken down by grade.

David Hanson: The information requested is set out in the following tables and includes staff in the NI Departments and Agencies and the Northern Ireland Office (including members of the Home Civil Service). This reflects the position at 1 January 2006.
	
		
			  Analysis of permanent NICS staff in each of the 11 ministerial departments and NIO, as at 1 January 2006 by gender and grade level 
			  Percentage 
			Grade 
			  Department  Gender  G7 +  DP  SO  EOI and EOII  AO  AA  Industrial 
			 DARD Female 28.9 30.6 33.0 32.4 63.6 67.7 7.1 
			  Male 71.1 69.4 67.0 67.6 36.4 32.3 92.9 
			 DCAL Female 36.4 43.1 38.6 35.2 63.9 43.5 0.0 
			  Male 63.6 56.9 61.4 64.8 36.1 56.5 100.0 
			 DE Female 46.7 44.9 58.4 64.5 69.8 68.5 0.0 
			  Male 53.3 55.1 41.6 35.5 30.2 31.5 0.0 
			 DETI Female 21.7 35.8 52.3 61.4 68.5 61.6 0.0 
			  Male 78.3 64.2 47.7 38.6 31.5 38.4 100.0 
			 DFP Female 31.6 31.3 41.9 48.9 65.8 54.4 0.0 
			  Male 68.4 68.8 58.1 51.1 34.2 45.6 100.0 
			 DEL Female 36.7 40.2 49.1 74.7 71.8 57.8 0.0 
			  Male 63.3 59.8 50.9 25.3 28.2 42.2 100.0 
			 DHSSPS Female 30.4 37.2 42.9 56.5 70.5 62.5 0.0 
			  Male 69.6 62.8 57.1 43.5 29.5 37.5 0.0 
			 DOE Female 26.5 44.3 39.7 52.9 57.8 64.6 3.6 
			  Male 73.5 55.7 60.3 47.1 42.2 35.4 96.4 
			 DRD Female 16.0 17.0 18.3 26.2 67.5 37.7 0.3 
			  Male 84.0 83.0 81.7 73.8 32.5 62.3 99.7 
			 DSD Female 33.6 49.4 52.4 63.4 65.2 59.5 0.0 
			  Male 66.4 50.6 47.6 36.6 34.8 40.5 0.0 
			 OFMDFM Female 35.8 50.0 55.9 69.9 66.7 70.3 0.0 
			  Male 64.2 50.0 44.1 30.1 33.3 29.7 0.0 
			 NIO Female 41.6 44.9 45.8 69.0 75.6 55.3 40.0 
			  Male 58.4 55.1 54.2 31.0 24.4 44.7 60.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Analysis of permanent NICS staff in each of the 11 ministerial departments and NIO, as at 1 January 2006 by community background and grade level 
			  Percentage 
			Grade 
			  Department  Community background  Gr7 +  DP  SO  EOI and II  AO  AA  Industrial 
			 DARD Protestant 50.9 61.8 61.5 51.6 50.6 44.4 51.1 
			  Roman Catholic 29.1 32.5 33.5 45.1 48.5 54.9 45.2 
			  Not determined 20.0 5.7 5.0 3.3 1.0 0.6 3.7 
			 DCAL Protestant 54.5 54.9 61.4 63.0 43.1 56.5 52.5 
			  Roman Catholic 42.4 41.2 35.7 34.5 55.6 43.5 39.1 
			  Not determined 3.0 3.9 2.9 2.4 1.4 0.0 8.7 
			 DE Protestant 57.9 68.1 72.7 66.7 60.4 70.8  
			  Roman Catholic 41.1 27.5 24.7 31.7 39.1 27.0  
			  Not determined 0.9 4.3 2.6 1.6 0.6 2.2  
			 DETI Protestant 59.4 65.1 54.1 53.5 58.3 61.6 (1) 
			  Roman Catholic 36.2 33.0 43.2 43.7 39.3 37.4 (1) 
			  Not determined 4.3 1.9 2.7 2.8 2.4 1.0 (1) 
			  Protestant 54.6 61.1 59.4 55.6 51.0 51.1 (1) 
			 DFP Roman Catholic 40.3 37.3 39.1 43.3 47.1 46.8 (1) 
			  Not determined 5.1 1.7 1.5 1.1 1.9 2.1 (1) 
			  Protestant 55.1 44.9 44.6 39.2 40.8 36.1 (1) 
			 DEL Roman Catholic 42.9 51.4 53.7 59.5 57.7 63.9 (1) 
			  Not Determined 2.0 3.7 1.7 1.3 1.5 0.0 (1) 
			  Protestant 57.1 50.6 55.6 58.8 52.5 66.7  
			 DHSSPS Roman Catholic 36.0 47.0 41.8 40.0 45.9 32.5  
			  Not determined 6.8 2.4 2.6 1.2 1.6 0.8  
			 DOE Protestant 55.5 53.2 50.4 52.4 50.1 43.9 59.5 
			  Roman Catholic 35.5 41.8 45.7 44.2 48.5 54.3 34.5 
			  Not determined 9.0 5.0 3.9 3.4 1.4 1.8 6.0 
			 DRD Protestant 65.4 62.4 56.7 54.2 47.3 48.7 57.4 
			  Roman Catholic 26.9 35.6 40.5 43.5 51.9 48.5 37.6 
			  Not determined 7.7 2.0 2.9 2.4 0.9 2.8 5.1 
			 DSD Protestant 44.9 38.1 44.3 42.4 39.9 38.5  
			  Roman Catholic 51.4 60.2 54.1 56.0 58.4 59.2  
			  Not determined 3.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 2.3  
			 OFMDFM Protestant 65.7 54.8 51.5 72.3 64.9 67.6  
			  Roman Catholic 31.3 43.5 44.1 25.3 35.1 29.7  
			  Not determined 3.0 1.6 4.4 2.4 0.0 2.7  
			 NIO Protestant 60.2 65.2 68.5 64.8 68.1 62.3 (1) 
			  Roman Catholic 32.5 29.4 25.4 33.3 29.4 30.3 (1) 
			  Not determined 7.3 5.4 6.2 1.9 2.5 7.4 (1) 
			 (1) It has not been possible to show the perceived religious affiliation of staff due to the small numbers involved in order to protect the confidentiality of the information held.  Note:  The figures for NIO do not include Home Civil Servants who work in London, as the legislation does not require their community background to be monitored 
		
	
	
		
			  Analysis of permanent NICS staff in each of the 11 ministerial departments and NIO, as at 1 January 2006 by declared disabilityand grade level 
			  Percentage 
			Grade 
			  Department  Declared disability  G7 +  DP  SO  EOI and EOII  AO  AA  Industrial 
			 DARD No disability declared 96.3 93.4 93.7 91.6 91.0 88.4 93.9 
			  Disability declared 3.7 6.6 6.3 8.4 9.0 11.6 6.1 
			 DCAL No disability declared 96.7 93.8 97.0 93.2 95.6 90.7 100.0 
			  Disability declared 3.3 6.3 3.0 6.8 4.4 9.3 0.0 
			 DE No disability declared 97.8 92.5 100.0 97.7 95.0 92.7 0.0 
			  Disability declared 2.2 7.5 0.0 2.3 5.0 7.3 0.0 
			 DETI No disability declared 96.9 97.0 97.1 96.5 97.5 92.4 100.0 
			  Disability declared 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.5 2.5 7.6 0.0 
			 DFP No disability declared 94.8 95.6 96.0 96.3 96.6 94.6 92.0 
			  Disability declared 5.2 4.4 4.0 3.7 3.4 5.4 8.0 
			 DEL No disability declared 100.0 95.7 93.0 94.8 95.4 89.8 0.0 
			  Disability declared 0.0 4.3 7.0 5.2 4.6 10.2 0.0 
			 DHSSPS No disability declared 94.7 96.7 97.8 95.8 95.5 94.6 0.0 
			  Disability declared 5.3 3.3 2.2 4.2 4.5 5.4 0.0 
			 DOE No disability declared 98.6 97.2 96.6 95.9 94.7 94.0 98.1 
			  Disability declared 1.4 2.8 3.4 4.1 5.3 6.0 1.9 
			 DRD No disability declared 97.2 97.2 97.0 97.0 95.6 95.0 93.6 
			  Disability declared 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.0 4.4 5.0 6.4 
			 DSD No disability declared 96.9 96.4 93.4 94.2 95.3 92.9 0.0 
			  Disability declared 3.1 3.6 6.6 5.8 4.7 7.1 0.0 
			 OFMDFM No disability declared 93.7 100.0 98.3 95.9 98.1 97.1 0.0 
			  Disability declared 6.3 0.0 1.7 4.1 1.9 2.9 0.0 
			 NIO No disability declared 97.6 96.3 95.6 96.0 95.1 95.5 100.0 
			  Disability declared 2.4 3.7 4.4 4.0 4.9 4.5 0.0 
			  Note:  Figures exclude staff who have not declared whether or not they have a disability.  Key to Grades: Grade 7 +: Grade 7 and above DP: Deputy Principal SO: Staff Officer EOI and II: Executive Officer, Grades 12 AO: Administrative Officer AA: Administrative Assistant

Electricity Supply (Limavady)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answers of 28 February 2006,  Official Report, column 665W, on mains electricity supplies, and 9 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1736W, on electricity supply (Limavady), what the cost would be of locating the power lines in the area concerned underground.

Maria Eagle: Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) estimates that, subject to the outcome of technical feasibility studies, undergrounding the electric lines in the Limavady area would cost in the order of 2-3million.

Fishing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to promote fishing holidays in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: The internet is a key marketing tool for providing detailed information on all aspects of angling. The Tourist Board's website www.discovernorthernire land.com/angling.aspx provides details and contacts on angling waters, licences, permits, tackle and bait, boat hire, ghillies and local angling events.
	NITB further markets the angling product through familiarisation trips for angling journalists, media and tour operators, and attendance at specialist shows in Great Britain, Europe and Republic of Ireland.
	Tourism Ireland represents NITB and the angling product on the international market. A suite of angling guides has been produced covering game, coarse, sea and pike fishing in the island of Ireland, distributed at all angling shows and servicing consumer enquiries.
	The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) promotes angling in Northern Ireland under the tourism Ireland banner at angling fairs and shows in Great Britain, France, Holland and Denmark. DCAL also takes stands at angling fairs in the Republic of Ireland. DCAL has developed a website promoting the public angling estate, which is specifically aimed at tourist anglers with direct links to travel and accommodation providerswww.dcal-fishingni.gov.uk

Free Passports (Senior Citizens)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will reduce the age at which free passports are provided to senior citizens.

Joan Ryan: I have been asked to reply.
	The decision to give free passports for those born on or before 2 September 1929 was announced on 19 May 2004. This was a special concession intended to recognise the sacrifices made by adults of the World War two generation, whether in the services or on the home front. It would therefore not be appropriate, and there are no plans, to extend the scheme by reducing the qualifying age.

Human Rights Commission

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the running costs of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; and what plans he has to change its annual budget.

David Hanson: The Commission's annual budget is currently 1.35 million. There are no plans to change the budget in the current spending review period (April 2005-March 2008).

Human Rights Commission

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications were received for the position of Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; how many were shortlisted for the position; and what the nationality was of each applicant.

David Hanson: There were two appointment processes for the Chief Commissioner post. The interview panel on the first process could not recommend an appointment.
	Applicants were not asked to confirm their nationality.
	
		
			   Number 
			  First process  
			 Applications 14 
			 Short-listed for interview 5 
			   
			  Second process  
			 Applications 16 
			 Short-listed for interview 5

La Mon House Bombing

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to meet the victims of the La Mon House bombing.

David Hanson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has agreed to meet the hon. Lady and the victims of the La Mon House bombing as soon as a meeting can be arranged.

MOT

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles were tested at each of the MOT test centres in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Cairns: The following table details all MOT tests undertaken in Northern Ireland in the last five years.
	
		
			  Centre  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Armagh 19,691 17,007 22,940 16,158 21,524 
			 Ballymena 42,742 28,340 44,213 46,479 42,788 
			 Belfast 59,954 44,794 59,697 47,194 63,188 
			 Coleraine 28,384 34,049 39,058 41,261 45,121 
			 Cookstown 30,470 35,003 37,397 36,827 41,238 
			 Craigavon 31,833 31,016 36,459 25,182 30,291 
			 Downpatrick 21,538 20,614 29,870 33,412 27,387 
			 Enniskillen 22,993 16,548 25,827 25,648 28,988 
			 Larne 11,852 20,570 25,616 23,002 26,031 
			 Lisburn 22,033 34,578 35,711 26,790 34,724 
			 Londonderry 31,431 27,802 35,516 26,585 38,159 
			 Mallusk 50,943 61,200 37,978 41,109 49,934 
			 Newry 33,326 41,446 31,505 28,410 44,541 
			 Newtownards 50,833 53,761 56,540 56,517 64,286 
			 Omagh 19,240 31,964 19,440 23,444 26,458 
			 Total 477,263 498,692 537,767 498,018 584,658

New Build Housing Programme

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the legislative framework will be for the transfer of the management of the new build housing programme from the Department of Social Development to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

David Hanson: Consultation on the Housing (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 is currently under way and responses are due by 21 July 2006. On receipt of responses, amendments will be made to the order if necessary. Following on from this the appropriate legislative route will be followed and it is hoped that the legislation will be effective from April 2007.

Northern Ireland Civil Service

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vacancies there are in the Northern Ireland civil service at  (a) AO,  (b) EOII,  (c) EOI and  (d) SO grades, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

David Hanson: Details of vacancies in the Northern Ireland civil service at  (a) AO,  (b) EO11,  (c) EO1 and  (d) SO grades, broken down by parliamentary constituency are shown in the following table. These figures relate to vacancies for which Departments have current financial provision and are within the departmental headcount.
	The table also shows identified surpluses for each grade.
	
		
			  Vacancies/surpluses in the Northern Ireland civil service broken down by parliamentary constituency at 2 May 2006 
			  Parliamentary constituency  SO vacancies  SO surpluses  EO1 vacancies  E01 surpluses  E011 vacancies  E011 surpluses  AO vacancies  AO surpluses 
			 Belfast East 24  4  21 4 16 2 
			 Belfast North 4  4  27  10  
			 Belfast South 38  27 3 78 4 44 3 
			 Belfast West 3  1  22   14 
			 North Down 6  1  6  6 2 
			 Lagan Valley   1  1  2 1 
			 Strangford   2 4 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone   1 2   1 16 
			 West Tyrone 2  1 1 2 1 11 10 
			 Foyle 2  3  4  1 18 
			 Newry and Armagh 1  1 16 
			 South Down  1 1 8 
			 North Antrim 2  1  2  1 8 
			 South Antrim 1 2 9 11 
			 Antrim Coast and Glens  5  2 
			 East Londonderry   1  3  4 3 
			 Mid Ulster2 
			 Upper Bann10

Railway Maintenance

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent in the past 10 years on maintenance of the railway line between  (a) Bangor and Belfast,  (b) Larne and Belfast and (c) Lisburn and Newry.

David Cairns: Information has been provided by Translink on the maintenance costs from 1999-2000 to 2004-05 with estimated costs for 2005-06 as shown in the following table. Other cost details are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Summary of permanent way, signalling and structures maintenance costsavailable costs seven years to 2006 (including estimated costs 2005-06) 
			  000 
			   Line section 
			   Belfast-Bangor  Belfast-Larne  Lisburn-Newry  Total 
			 1999-2000 236 466 860 1,562 
			 2000-01 244 480 887 1,611 
			 2001-02 306 745 1,115 2,166 
			 2002-03 325 595 1,184 2,104 
			 2003-04 384 725 1,396 2,505 
			 2004-05 360 716 1,311 2,387 
			 2005-06 forecast 371 737 1,350 2,458 
		
	
	The maintenance costs relate to work on the permanent way, signalling and structures but exclude the major works undertaken in recent years for track relays on all these lines.

Regional Development Strategy

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to undertake the five year review of the regional development strategy; and what the timetable will be for that review.

David Cairns: The first five-year review of the regional development strategy commenced with a re-assessment of housing figures. This work was the subject of a public examination in February this year. The intention is to publish revised uplifted figures in May. In addition, the Department will publish a consultation document on all other aspects of the RDS in May for a three-month consultation period. The objective is to publish the final document on these aspects by the end of the year.

Religious Discrimination

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 501W, on religious discrimination, what the total cost was of investigating complaints of discrimination for religious belief or political opinion in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The Department does not record separately the staff costs of the fair employment tribunal, dealing with religious or political discrimination cases, within the total tribunal service costs. The following table shows the estimated cost of staff dealing with fair employment cases based on the relevant percentage of the religious and political discrimination cases as a total number of cases received by the tribunal service plus the cost of fees paid to fair employment tribunal part-time panel members.
	
		
			   Cases of Religious Belief/Political Opinion registered in the year  Cost to Government () 
			 1996 566 (1)146 
			 1997 666 (1)202 
			 1998 559 (1)204 
			 1999 499 (1)147 
			 2000 561 374 
			 2001 268 162 
			 2002 480 284 
			 2003 467 199 
			 2004 479 257 
			 2005 190 255 
			 (1 )Staff costs element is estimated based on actual figures for subsequent years.

Road Maintenance/Safety

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent over the past 10 years on maintenance of  (a) the A8 road between Larne and Belfast,  (b) the A2 road between Carrickfergus and Belfast,  (c) the A1 road between Lisburn and Newry and  (d) the A26 road between Antrim and Ballymena.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 12 May 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding how much has been spent over the past 10 years on maintenance of (a) the A8 road between Larne and Belfast, (b) the A2 road between Carrickfergus and Belfast, (c) the Al road between Lisburn and Newry and (d) the A26 road between Antrim and Ballymena.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	Unfortunately the particular information you requested is not available because Roads Service does not record maintenance spend against individual roads or class of roads. We only record expenditure incurred by Roads Service on maintenance activities and on capital (major and minor) road improvement schemes for each District Council area.

Road Maintenance/Safety

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that road safety education officers are allowed to attend District Road Safety Community Committee meetings in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: The principal aim of the Department of the Environment's Road Safety Education Officers is the education and training of children and young people in road safety and, while not the limit of their activities, this takes up the majority of their time.
	The decision to withdraw Road Safety Education Officers from attending Road Safety Committee meetings as a matter of course does not mean that Committees cannot avail of their support and advice. This is an operational matter and the Department will consider any reasonable request for support on a case-by-case basis balanced against other priorities.

School Buses

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school bus accidents there have been in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The number of school bus accidents in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years is set out in the following table. The vast majority of the incidents/accidents recorded are of a minor nature and do not involve injury to children.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Number of accidents 
			 1996-97 (1)258 
			 1997-98 281 
			 1998-99 276 
			 1999-2000 291 
			 2000-01 227 
			 2001-02 210 
			 2002-03 231 
			 2003-04 193 
			 2004-05 181 
			 2005-06 245 
			 (1 )Excludes Translink figures which are not currently available. 
		
	
	The information relates to Education and Library Board vehicles and Translink buses. Details are not available for accidents involving Private Operator vehicles.

School Reductions

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) timetable and  (b) process will be for the reduction in the number of schools in each board area under the Review of Public Administration.

Maria Eagle: The Review of Public Administration does not require a reduction in the number of schools. Rationalisation of the estate is required because of the reduction in the number of pupils, which is expected to decline further over the coming years. There is no timetable for the reduction in the number of schools in each board area. Where it is proposed to close a school or amalgamate two or more schools, this will follow the normal process, which involves the publication of a development proposal, a two-month consultation period, followed by a decision by the Department for Education.

Schools (Financial Balance)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the end of year financial balance was for each  (a) grammar school and  (b) non-grammar secondary school in Northern Ireland in the last available year.

Maria Eagle: The following tables provide details of the financial balance at the end of the 2004-05 financial year for each voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated secondary school. Schools in both of these sectors receive their funding directly from the Department of Education.
	These tables also cover controlled integrated, controlled grammar and other secondary schools in three off the five education and library boards (the western, north eastern and south eastern). The requested information in respect of schools in the other two boards. (Belfast and Southern) is not available as these two boards have not yet published their 2004-05 local management of schools outturn statements. When these have been published copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Copies of the published 2003-04 local management of schools outturn statements for all five education and library boards are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
	
		
			  Grammar schoolsvoluntary( 1)  Year-end financial balance 
			 Abbey Grammar, Newry -159,588 
			 Aquinas Grammar, Belfast -381 
			 Assumption Grammar, Ballynahinch 515,778 
			 Ballymena Academy 85,252 
			 Belfast High School -55,520 
			 Belfast Royal Academy -348,382 
			 Bloomfield Collegiate, Belfast 5,727 
			 Campbell College, Belfast(2) 105,357 
			 Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh 78,560 
			 Coleraine Academical Institution -86,905 
			 Dalriada School, Ballymoney 50,332 
			 Dominican College, Portstewart 186,600 
			 Dominican, Belfast 511,935 
			 Foyle and Londonderry College 61,369 
			 Friends' School, Lisburn 57,826 
			 Hunterhouse College 470,234 
			 Larne Grammar School 65,349 
			 Loreto Grammar, Omagh 129,588 
			 Loreto, Coleraine 113,399 
			 Lumen Christi, Derry 98,988 
			 Methodist College, Belfast 353,557 
			 Mount Lourdes, Enniskillen 780,971 
			 Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock 323,080 
			 Our Lady's Grammar, Newry 368,475 
			 Portora Royal, Enniskillen 288,605 
			 Rainey, Magherafelt 364,308 
			 Rathmore Grammar, Belfast 430,869 
			 Royal Belfast Academical Institution(2) -174,667 
			 Sacred Heart, Newry 513,739 
			 St. Colman's College, Newry 216,880 
			 St. Columb's College, Derry 6,705 
			 St. Dominic's, Belfast 7 
			 St. Joseph's Donaghmore 65,179 
			 St. Louis' Ballymena 192,048 
			 St. Louis' Kilkeel 188,182 
			 St. MacNissi's, Garron Tower 1,318 
			 St. Malachy's, Belfast 30,345 
			 St. Mary's CBS, Belfast 435,580 
			 St. Michael's College, Enniskillen -284,141 
			 St. Michael's Grammer, Lurgan 130,149 
			 St. Patrick's Academy, Dungannon 546,362 
			 St. Patricks Downpatrick 661,703 
			 St. Patrick's Grammar, Armagh -609,038 
			 Strathearn School, Belfast 16,550 
			 Sullivan Upper School -44,416 
			 The Royal School, Armagh 74,787 
			 The Royal School, Dungannon 98,431 
			 The Wallace High School 42,648 
			 Thornhill College, Londonderry 48,777 
			 Victoria College, Belfast 27,412 
			 (1 )The figures have been extracted from the audited year-end accounting information submitted by schools, and may be impacted upon by sources of funding other than the Department of Education(.)(2 )A cumulative balance is not available and these figures represent their surplus/deficit position for the 2004-05 financial year only. 
		
	
	
		
			  Grammar schoolscontrolled  Year-end financial balance 
			 Antrim Grammar -58,543 
			 Ballyclare High 86,373 
			 Cambridge House 37,876 
			 Carrickfergus -31,203 
			 Coleraine High 40,574 
			 Down H.S. -118,493 
			 Enniskillen Collegiate -13,486 
			 Glenlola Collegiate 668,282 
			 Limavady Grammar -63,383 
			 Omagh Academy 19,060 
			 Regent House 420,687 
			 Strabane Grammar 16,884 
		
	
	
		
			  Integratedschoolsgrant maintained( 1)  Year-end financial balance 
			 Armagh Integrated College -1,773 
			 Drumragh Integrated College 200,750 
			 Dungannon Integrated College 276,875 
			 Erne Integrated College 64,967 
			 Hazelwood Integrated College 135,267 
			 Lagan Integrated College 65,531 
			 Malone Integrated College 55,231 
			 New-Bridge Integrated College -12,305 
			 North-Coast Integrated College 99,469 
			 Oakgrove Integrated College 25,042 
			 Shimna Integrated College 55,651 
			 Slemish Integrated College 374,724 
			 Sperrin Integrated College 5,657 
			 Strangford Integrated College 118,494 
			 Ulidia Integrated College 371,535 
			 (1 )The figures have been extracted from the audited year-end accounting information submitted by schools. 
		
	
	
		
			  Othersecondarycontrolled/maintained  Year-end financial balance 
			  Western Education and Library Board  
			 Castlederg High School 80,048 
			 Dean Brian Maguire College 173,280 
			 Devenish College 43,230 
			 Holy Cross  
			 Immaculate Conception College -13,742 
			 Limavady High School 22,646 
			 Lisnaskea High School 51,045 
			 Lisneal College 199,058 
			 Omagh High School -76,773 
			 Our Lady of Mercy High School 25,563 
			 Sacred Heart College -55,542 
			 St. Aidans High School 25,188 
			 St. Brigid's College, Carnhill 137,464 
			 St. Cecilia's College 193,513 
			 St. Colman's High School 69,484 
			 St. Comhghall's High School 84,401 
			 St. Eugene's High Roslea -5,190 
			 St. Eugene's High School -25,896 
			 St. Franchea's College -70,214 
			 St. John's High School 52,842 
			 St. Joseph's College Enniskillen 117,702 
			 St. Joseph's High Plumbridge -61,750 
			 St. Joseph's See Creggan 141,391 
			 St. Mary's College Londonderry 41,685 
			 St. Mary's High Limavady -6,748 
			 St. Mary's Sec Brollagh 57,206 
			 St. Mary's Sec Irvinestown 33,187 
			 St. Patrick's and St Brigid's High 11,899 
			 St. Patrick's High Dungiven 76,563 
			 St. Peter's High School 79,308 
			 Strabane High School 58,593 
			   
			  North-Eastern Education and Library Board  
			 Ballee Community -188,213 
			 Ballycastle High 190,867 
			 Ballyclare 131,511 
			 Ballymoney High 123,101 
			 Carrickfergus College 134,471 
			 Coleraine College -218,922 
			 Cross and Passion College 22,823 
			 Crumlin High -66,164 
			 Cullybackey High 80,256 
			 Downshire 54,806 
			 Dunclug College -19,391 
			 Dunluce 57,297 
			 Edmund Rice College 43,581 
			 Garvagh High -13,342 
			 Glengormley High -160,431 
			 Larne High -111,660 
			 Maghera High 14,951 
			 Magherafelt High -83,878 
			 Massereene Community -372,301 
			 Monkstown Community 48,372 
			 Newtownabbey Community -45,329 
			 Our Lady of Lourdes -91,651 
			 Parkhall College -35,080 
			 St. Aloysius' High -20,600 
			 St. Colm's High -19,091 
			 St. Comgall's High -59,760 
			 St. Joseph's High 238,000 
			 St. Malachy's High -275,076 
			 St. Mary's College 30,614 
			 St. Olcan's High -117,617 
			 St. Patrick's College Ballymena -55,766 
			 St. Patrick's College Maghera 87,198 
			 St. Paul's 46,488 
			 St. Pius X 56,312 
			   
			  South-Eastern Education and Library Board  
			 Bangor Academy and 6(th) Form 749,137 
			 Comber High 169,907 
			 De La Salle High 465,255 
			 Donaghadee High -7,831 
			 Down Acaddemy 91,592 
			 Dundonald High 304,823 
			 Dunmurry High 63,057 
			 Fort Hill College 960,770 
			 Glastry College 433,130 
			 Knockbreda High 138,179 
			 Laurehill Community College 248,649 
			 Lisnagarvey High 110,782 
			 Lisnasharragh High 19,721 
			 Movilla High 505,961 
			 Newtownbreda High 329,188 
			 Priory College -133,206 
			 Saintfield High 151,821 
			 St. Colmans High 217,711 
			 St. Colmcilles High 58,501 
			 St. Colms High 233,468 
			 St. Columbanus High 150,890 
			 St. Columbas High 255,384 
			 St. Malachys High 175,462 
			 St. Marys High 292,008 
			 St. Patricks High 69,813 
			 The High School Ballynahinch 295,965

Sewage Services

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Water Service is meeting EU standards for sewage treatment in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: During 2004the most recent year for which verified compliance data are currently availableseven out of 35 relevant Water Service waste water treatment works did not meet the requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) as they did not have the required secondary treatment. In addition 13 works failed to meet either the effluent quality standards or the monitoring requirements of the UWWTD.
	Initial assessment of 2005 data indicates an improvement in compliance compared with 2004.
	Over the three year period to 2007-08 some 290 million is being invested in upgrading Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTWs) to ensure compliance with EC directive standards. Since the compliance assessment of 2004, the Water Service Capital Works Programme has delivered new WWTWs at Culmore, Omagh, Cookstown and Ballyclare, all of which are now capable of producing UWWTD quality effluent. The new works at Larne was completed in early 2006 and, in addition, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey are scheduled for completion in mid-2006.
	In addition, work has commenced on the new North Coast WWTW to resolve compliance requirements at Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine. In addition, Water Service is pursuing the use of public private partnership (PPP) investment to complement conventionally funded programmes. Initial PPP programmes for wastewater and sludge treatment, currently estimated at some 122 million, are being taken forward for detailed planning and procurement.

Sewage Services

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action is being taken to avoid fines for not meeting the EU standards for sewage treatment in Northern Ireland; and what level of fines could be imposed if standards are not met.

Maria Eagle: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 12 May 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what action is being taken to avoid fines for not meeting the EU standards for sewage treatment in Northern Ireland; and what level of fines could be imposed if standards are not met. (68145). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	Water Service recognises that not all of its waste water treatment works are fully compliant with the effluent discharge standards set out in the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. The nine locations which the Commission identified as having failed to meet the Directive requirements to have secondary treatment in place by 31 December 2000 are at Bangor, Donaghadee, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Londonderry, Larne, Newtownabbey, Omagh and Portrush. A major capital investment programme is currently underway across Northern Ireland to address deficiencies in the sewerage infrastructure and to achieve compliance as quickly as possible. Since 2000/01, investment on improvements to waste water treatment works has increased tenfold, from approximately 12 million per year to some 122 million per year in 2005/06. Work has been completed at Londonderry, Omagh and Larne and significant levels of expenditure will continue to be invested as Water Service strives to meet the requirements as soon as possible.
	It is not possible to specify the level of fines that could be imposed by the European Commission on a particular Member State. Such fines take into account the seriousness and duration of the breach of compliance, the ability of the Member State to pay, and the profile of the Member State within the European Union. They may comprise a lump sum and, or, a penalty.

Water Services

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many domestic properties in Northern Ireland are estimated to be without a mains water supply.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Katharine Bryan, dated 12 May 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about how many domestic properties in Northern Ireland are estimated to be without a mains water supply (69461). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	It is estimated that less than 1% of domestic properties in Northern Ireland are not connected to the mains water supply. Water Service does not, at present, have a database of all domestic properties connected to mains water. However, a comprehensive customer database is currently being developed in preparation for the proposed introduction of domestic charging from April 2007 and this will identify any domestic properties not connected to the mains water supply.

Water Services

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures are in place for regular testing of the quality of tap water in domestic properties in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 12 May 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what procedures are in place for regular testing of the quality of tap water in domestic properties in Northern Ireland (69470). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (NI) 2002 necessitate a thorough and extensive water sampling programme to be undertaken, to monitor water quality throughout the supply and distribution systems. The sampling locations and frequencies for the monitoring of drinking water quality are specified in the Regulations. The results and procedures are audited by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The mandatory sampling programmes requires water samples to be collected regularly at water treatment works, at service reservoirs and water towers used to store treated water, and at customers' taps in the water supply zone.
	During 2005, the latest date for which data are available, a total of 57,758 parameters were tested and 99.73% were found to be satisfactory. The results of all unsatisfactory samples are reported to the Drinking Water Inspector along with details of the reasons for the failures and the actions considered necessary by Water Service to rectify the position.

WALES

Consultants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the companies which were paid consultancy fees by his Department in 2005-06; how much each was paid; and what each of the companies was used to accomplish.

Peter Hain: None.

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost was of overnight accommodation for Ministers of State in his Department on foreign visits in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: As required by the Ministerial Code and Travel for Ministers, we have made the most efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. The total cost of overnight accommodation overseas for the Secretary of State for Wales is:
	
		
			
			 2003-04 0.00 
			 2004-05 1,389.67 
			 2005-06 0.00 
		
	
	Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year, this information includes accommodation costs. Copies are available in the Library.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Neighbourhood Policing

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the roll-out of the neighbourhood policing model.

Liam Byrne: Thanks to an additional 91 million investment in neighbourhood policing provided by the Chancellor in his recent Budget, neighbourhood policing will be introduced to every community in England and Wales by April 2007. There will be increased numbers of police community support officers and police officers working with local people to address those issues that are causing most concern to communities.

Neighbourhood Policing

Chris Mole: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the roll-out of the neighbourhood policing model.

Liam Byrne: Thanks to an additional 91 million investment in neighbourhood policing provided by the Chancellor in his recent Budget, neighbourhood policing will be introduced to every community in England and Wales by April 2007. There will be increased numbers of police community support officers and police officers working with local people to address those issues that are causing most concern to communities.

Neighbourhood Policing

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing schemes.

Liam Byrne: Evaluation findings from the National Reassurance Policing Programme which were published in January this year showed that a neighbourhood policing approach could deliver statistically significant reductions in levels of crime and perceptions of antisocial behaviour. Such an approach also increased public confidence in policing and feelings of safety, and improved trust in the local area.

Antisocial Behaviour

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in the south-west region.

Vernon Coaker: The latest available figures, as reported by the Court Service, for the period up to September 2005, show that 427 antisocial behaviour orders were issued in the south west region.
	The Government are committed to tackling antisocial behaviour and its underlying causes, with a cohesive programme to promote positive behaviour and challenge bad. The Respect Action Plan, which was launched in Swindon in January, sets out commitments we will deliver to make that vision a reality.

Prisons

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce prison overcrowding.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The National Offender Management Service keeps under review the capacity of prisons to accommodate those prisoners sent to them by the courts. It is ensuring that maximum use is made of all spare capacity within the prison estate and increasing useable operational capacity by building additional places as part of an ongoing funded building programme.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the management of the home detention curfew scheme.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The home detention curfew scheme is kept under continuous review.
	HDC has been very successful in providing prisoners with a smoother and more effective re-integration back into the community while providing protection to the public.

Asylum Seekers

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle illegal working by asylum seekers.

Tony McNulty: The Government are firmly committed to preventing illegal migrant working and the misuse of our asylum system by those seeking financial advantage rather than protection. We have significantly reduced the number of unfounded asylum claims since 2002, increased removals of refused applicants, and strengthened controls on illegal working. Our strategy also involves increasing enforcement, encouraging compliance by business, and developing joint working between relevant agencies.

Licensing

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for alcohol sales to people  (a) already under the influence of alcohol and  (b) under the age of 18 years in 2004 and 2005.

Vernon Coaker: In 2004, there were 13 prosecutions for selling alcohol to a drunken person, and 856 prosecutions for selling alcohol to people under 18 years of age. Data for 2005 will become available in the autumn.

Police Force Mergers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reverse the mergers of local police forces proposed by his predecessor.

Liam Byrne: The Home Secretary has just completed his first week in post. He has been receiving briefing from senior officials on all key Home Office issues and this includes the police restructuring process. He will make any further announcements as soon as he has had time to give this important issue the careful consideration it deserves. Meanwhile, he will continue to work closely with the police service on all aspects of police reform.

Foreign Prisoners

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new measures he has put in place to secure the prompt deportation of released foreign prisoners.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A new multi-agency centre has been created to collate intelligence on the released prisoners. The police and other agencies have been brought together in order to detain the released prisoners, tackling first those where the severity of the crime or the potential risk to the public is greatest. Additional staff have been appointed and trained and processes have been overhauled so that the necessary casework can be completed and those involved can be deported without further delay.

Alcohol-related Crime

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what research he has evaluated on the level of alcohol-related  (a) crime and  (b) antisocial behaviour in Kent since December 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many alcohol-related  (a) crimes and (b) antisocial behaviour incidents there were in Kent in each of the last 10 financial years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 8 May 2006
	The Home Office has not received any research on the level of alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour in Kent since December 2005. From the information collected on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences which are alcohol-related. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences do not feature in the data series.
	Antisocial behaviour is not measured by incident data but through a measure of people's perceptions of antisocial behaviour in their local area using the data from the British Crime Survey (BCS). The size of the sample in the BCS means that we can not provide reliable data for geographical areas smaller than police force areas. Due to changes in the measure of antisocial behaviour used police force area data that are comparable to the national figures are only available for 2004-05.
	The following table sets out the national figures for the last four years and the comparable figure for Kent police.
	Data on the percentage of people perceiving problems with drunk and rowdy behaviour is only produced and reported at the national level; in 2004-05 22 per cent. of people in England and Wales perceived there to be problems with drunk and rowdy behaviour in their local area. The equivalent figures are not available for police force areas.
	
		
			  Percentage of people perceiving high levels of antisocial behaviour in the local area 
			   National (percentage)  Kent police (percentage)  Statistically significantly different (at the 95 per cent. level) from the national average 
			 2001-02 19   
			 2002-03 21   
			 2003-04 16   
			 2004-05 17 18 No 
			  Note:  The measure of antisocial behaviour used is based on a scale constructed from seven questions on problem due to noisy neighbours or loud parties, teenagers and young people hanging around, rubbish and litter, vandalism, people using or dealing drugs, people being drunk or rowdy and abandoned cars.

Background Checks (EU)

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the EU-wide register of criminal offences involving children was created; and what impact it has had on facilitating checks on backgrounds of people employed in the school system who come from other EU countries.

Liam Byrne: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure process does not make a distinction between UK nationals and EU or other nationals where it is considered appropriate to undertake a Disclosure application. For posts in schools, applicants from overseas are subject to the same vetting procedures as UK applicants.
	However, where staff are recruited from countries outside the UK, the CRB's checks of the police national computer, local police force intelligence, the Protection of Children Act list and List 99 may not be sufficient, particularly where job applicants are newly arrived or have recently lived abroad. The CRB has an overseas information service to provide help with this. If it is considered that a Disclosure may not represent a complete picture of an individual's non-UK record the overseas information service provides guidance on how to obtain further information from a current list of 21 EU and non-EU countries.
	The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) also currently advise employers to take additional steps in employment checks on overseas candidates and to seek information as to any criminal history from the authorities in their country of origin wherever possible.
	In addition, with effect from 21 May 2006, when the European Council decision on the Exchange of Criminal History Records between member states will come into effect, the UK will have the ability to request criminal conviction information held on nationals of other member states. It is the intention that the CRB will be able to subsequently incorporate into its Disclosure service the ability to request such information directly through the UK Central authority for the exchange of information set up in accordance with the Act.

Child Abuse (Internet)

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by his Department with internet service providers in preventing access to graphic images of child abuse via the internet.

Vernon Coaker: UK internet service providers (ISPs) continue to lead the world in tackling this issue and the majority are committed to taking all steps available to them to prevent users accessing illegal images of child abuse. This is evidenced, for example, by their commitment to and funding of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the reduction in the proportion of illegal sites reported to the IWF that are hosted in the UK from 18 per cent. in 1997 to 0.4 per cent. in 2005.
	Recently, it has become technically feasible for ISPs to block home users' access to websites irrespective of where in the world they are hosted. It is clear from the various meetings that Ministers have had with the ISPs, that the industry has the will to implement solutions to block these websites. Currently, all the 3G mobile network operators block their mobile customers from accessing these sites and the biggest ISPs (who between them provide over 90 per cent. of domestic broadband connections) are either currently blocking or have plans to by the end of 2006.
	We recognise the progress that has been made as a result of the industry's commitment and investment so far. However, 90 per cent. of connections is not enough and we are setting a target that by the end of 2007, all ISPs offering broadband internet connectivity to the UK general public put in place technical measures that prevent their customers accessing websites containing illegal images of child abuse identified by the IWF. For new ISPs or services, we would expect them to put in place measures within nine months of offering the service to the public. If it appears that we are not going to meet our target through co-operation, we will review the options for stopping UK residents accessing websites on the IWF list.

Dangerous Dogs Act

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) London have been prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each year since it was passed.

Liam Byrne: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of people have been prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 for England and Wales, and London, from 1992 to 2004, is shown in the following table.
	Court statistics for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.
	
		
			  Number of people proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in London, 1992 to 2004( 1) 
			  Offence description  Statute ( 2) 1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998 
			 Owner or person In charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place injuring any person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(1). 65 94 68 53 29 35 46 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place and injure any person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(3) 9 4 5 4 4 5 5 
			 Breeding or breeding from a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(a) 9 2 0 1 2 1 0 
			 Selling, exchanging, offering, advertising or exposing for sale a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(b) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Giving or offering to give a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(c) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Allowing a fighting dog to be in a public place without a muzzle or a lead. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 1(2)(d) 103 39 15 11 6 5 4 
			 Abandoning, or allowing to stray, a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(e). 9 7 8 2 2 1 0 
			 Possession, without exemption, of a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa or other designated fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 1(3) 100 93 31 20 10 9 13 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place, no injury being caused. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(1) 70 67 50 31 21 24 15 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non- public place causing reasonable apprehension of injury to a person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(3). 7 10 0 3 1 0 0 
			 Failing to give up a dog for destruction or having custody of a dog while disqualified. Badgers (further protection) Act 1991 Sec.1. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 4(8). Protection of Badgers Act 1 992 Sec. 13. 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Total  375 318 178 125 76 80 83 
		
	
	
		
			  Offence description  Statute  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Owner or person In charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place injuring any person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(1). 45 53 58 59 63 64 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place and injure any person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(3) 1 3 2 2 4 2 
			 Breeding or breeding from a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(a) 0 1 1 6 0 1 
			 Selling, exchanging, offering, advertising or exposing for sale a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(b) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Giving or offering to give a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(c) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Allowing a fighting dog to be in a public place without a muzzle or a lead. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 1(2)(d) 1 2 4 2 1 1 
			 Abandoning, or allowing to stray, a fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec1(2)(e). 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Possession, without exemption, of a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa or other designated fighting dog. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 1(3) 9 3 2 1 1 1 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place, no injury being caused. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(1) 19 28 29 16 19 13 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non- public place causing reasonable apprehension of injury to a person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec 3(3). 2 2 1 0 3 0 
			 Failing to give up a dog for destruction or having custody of a dog while disqualified. Badgers (further protection) Act 1991 Sec.1. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 4(8). Protection of Badgers Act 1 992 Sec. 13. 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total  79 92 97 86 91 82 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Offence codes for Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 were introduced to the court proceeding database from 1 January1992.

DNA

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans are in place to integrate the National DNA Database with other national forensic and intelligence databases; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The National DNA Database currently has a link to the police national computer (PNC) to enable the police to tell whether someone arrested for a recordable offence has provided a DNA sample on a previous occasion. The national fingerprint system, IDENT1, is also connected to the PNC, but not directly to the National DNA Database. It is planned to pass limited information from IDENT1 to the NDNAD via the PNC in order to link records, contributing to PNC record integrity, without major integration of the systems.

DNA

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he has given to chief constables on the manner in which they should exercise their discretion whether to destroy DNA samples.

Liam Byrne: Home Office circular 25/2001 states that, when an individual is cleared of an offence, samples taken as evidence during an investigation may be retained, but that they may only be used for the purposes of prevention and detection of crime, the investigation of an offence, the conduct of a prosecution or, since April 2005, for the purposes of identifying a deceased person.
	The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) issued guidelines on 31 January 2006 to all chief officers on the exercise of their discretion to destroy DNA samples and remove the DNA profile from the national DNA database in exceptional circumstances. These guidelines will help to ensure national consistency.
	The codes of practice (D) relating to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 give guidance on when retained samples may be used and the procedures for destruction.
	The only time samples would be used is if a match were shown between an individual's DNA profile and that recovered from a crime scene.

Domestic Violence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of calls to the police for assistance in  (a) Southend-on-Sea,  (b) Essex,  (c) the Metropolitan police area of London and  (d) England and Wales were to incidents of domestic violence in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office does not routinely collect data on calls to the police for assistance and does not have the figures for England and Wales.
	Essex police and the Metropolitan police service (MPS) have been able to provide force level statistics on the number and percentage of calls made to their command and control systems which were incidents of domestic violence.
	
		
			   MPS total incidents  MPS total DV incidents  MPS percentage of all incidents which were DV  Essex total incidents  Essex total DV incidents  Essex percentage of all incidents which were DV 
			 2005-06 3,432,510 122,768 3.6 451,770 13,173 2.9 
			 2004-05 3,334,654 126,824 3.8 441,061 12,057 2.7 
			 2003-04 3,301,165 112,959 3.4 441,737 10,669 2.4 
			 2002-03 3,198,604 96,020 3.0 446,118 9,690 2.2 
			 2001-02 3,337,871 86,675 2.6 453,058 10,057 2.2 
			 2000-01 3,309,264 77,523 2.3
			 1999-2000 3,654,682 78,515 2.1

Driver Prosecutions

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been of motorists who have driven through red lights in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Northamptonshire in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: 2005 data will be available early in 2007.

Europol

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his Department's policy to support proposals  (a) to fund Europol directly from the EU budget,  (b) to strengthen its mandate,  (c) to increase the number of permanent staff at Europol and  (d) to give the European Parliament a role in its supervision and management; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 8 May 2006
	The future of Europol is currently being examined within a 'Friends of the Presidency Group.' All member states, the commission and Europol itself are represented on the group. It will report to the JHA Council in June.
	The Government believe that Europol should have at its disposal the resources required to achieve its aims. The permanent staff of Europol has recently increased by 47 and the Government would look at any future bids for more staff in light of the business case for them.

Intelligence Database

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures  (a) Government Departments and agencies and  (b) local authorities with independent prosecuting authority for particular criminal offences use to forward details of (i) convictions, (ii) cautions and (iii) intelligence on possible criminals to (A) the Criminal Records Bureau and (B) the police national computer; what amendments to these procedures are proposed in relation to National Intelligence Database; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Government Departments and any other agency, including local authorities, with independent prosecuting authority for particular criminal offences are required to notify the police service in the area in which the offence was committed of any intention to prosecute such an offence. The police service enters details of such prosecutions onto the police national computer (PNC). Final disposals from courts are entered onto the PNC by the police, regardless of who is the prosecuting authority. The only exceptions to this are Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Royal Military Police who update their own cases on to PNC.
	The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has access to PNC conviction information as part of the disclosure process. In the event of an enhanced disclosure request, the CRB would also cause an inquiry to be made with the local police force who would consider whether or not it is relevant to disclose additional information. This may be non conviction information or intelligence. Guidance is available as to considerations prior to disclosure of such information.
	The police national database, to be delivered by the IMPACT Programme, will facilitate the sharing of operational information between forces by giving authorised officers access to a data repository comprising copies of records held in individual force systems. The details of amendments to procedures with CRB in relation to this are still to be determined.

Juvenile Detention

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on the detention of children and babies for immigration and asylum purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Unaccompanied minors are not detained other than in one very limited circumstance: where, exceptionally, it is necessary to detain a child while alternative care arrangements are made and, then, normally just overnight.
	Families with children may be detained in the following circumstances: initially, whilst their identities and basis of claim are established; where there are reasonable grounds for believing that they will fail to comply with the conditions of temporary admission or release; or to effect removal. In addition, families whose asylum claims appear to be capable of being decided quickly may be detained as part of a fast-track process.

Mobile Phone Driving Prosecutions

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for driving while using a mobile telephone in the last 12 months in Northamptonshire.

Liam Byrne: 2005 data will be available early in 2007.

Mobile Phone Thefts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the operation of the Mobile Phones (Re-Programming) Act 2002; what recent representations he has received about the operation of this Act; if he will place in the Library copies of such representations; and whether he plans to  (a) amend and  (b) repeal this Act;
	(2)  what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to reduce the theft of mobile phones; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Action to address mobile phone theft is a key element in the Government's programme to reduce robbery. The Street Crime Initiative has helped develop a strong and successful partnership between Government, industry and police which has led to several key actions being delivered.
	These include a database of stolen and lost mobile phones that can be blocked on any network and providing funding, with the Metropolitan police, for the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit to focus specific operations on reducing mobile phone theft.
	The Government also introduced the Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act 2002 which was welcomed by the police and industry alike. The purpose of the Act was to support the industry and the police in ensuring that stolen phones could not be further used by thieves.
	According to National Mobile Phone Crime Unit statistics, from January 2004 to December 2005 there have been over 400 individual police operations. A number of custodial sentences and fines have resulted from the legislation.
	Following representations from the industry and the police the Government have sought to strengthen the provisions in the Act, by introducing an amendment to the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to make it an offence to offer or agree to re-programme a mobile phone.
	Copies of representations have been placed in the Library. The Government will keep this legislation under review to ensure its effectiveness.
	In addition to public information and awareness campaigns, the Government intend to further strengthen the partnership with the mobile phone industry and the police to build on these measures and ensure that mobile phone theft remains a priority for action.

Non-emergency Situations

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer given by the hon. Member for Salford (Hazel Blears) on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 322W, on non-emergency situations, if he will take steps to ensure that the criteria for deciding whether  (a) drug taking,  (b) drunken behaviour,  (c) harassment and  (d) intimidation should be treated as (i) emergency and (ii) non-emergency situations are established by Ministers.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Salford (Hazel Blears) on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 322W.

Police

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish his Department's police restructuring proposals following the recent consultations; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The former Home Secretary (Mr. Clarke) announced on 3 March his intention to initiate amalgamations in the West Midlands, North-East, North-West regions and Wales.

Police

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1598W, on police, whether the statistical series of deaths during or following police contact produced by his Department's Police Leadership and Powers Unit will now  (a) cease,  (b) be taken over by the Independent Police Complaints Commission or  (c) continue to be produced by his Department and be accessible via links on the Commission's website.

Liam Byrne: Responsibility for the collation, analysis and publication of deaths during or following police contact passed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission with effect from 1 April 2005. Figures published on such deaths will be a matter for the Commission. Links to published figures will be accessible via the Home Office website.

Police

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are planned to be deployed in each basic command unitin the Staffordshire police force area in  (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Liam Byrne: Deployment of police officers in Staffordshire to basic command units and to other specialist units is an operational matter for the chief constable, subject to the resources that are available.

Police

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were deployed in each basic command unit of the Staffordshire police force area in  (a) 1987,  (b) 1992,  (c) 1997,  (d) 2001,  (e) 2004 and  (f) 2005.

Liam Byrne: Figures for police officers have been collected only by basic command unit (BCU) since March 2002. The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  The number of police officers deployed in each basic command unit (BCU) level of the Staffordshire police force area( 1) 
			  Basic command unit  31 March 2004  31 March 2005 
			 Chase 419 416 
			 North Staffordshire 301 299 
			 Stoke on Trent 587 585 
			 Trent Valley 392 429 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between the totals and sums of the constituent items. Figures include police officers on maternity/paternity leave.

Police

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were deployed in Doncaster, North in  (a) 1984,  (b) 1994 and  (c) 2004.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 4 May 2006
	Figures relating to the number of police officers are collected by police force area and have only been collected at basic command unit (BCU) level since March 2003. Figures for Doncaster, North are not collected centrally.
	As at 31 March 2004, there were 549 full-time equivalent (including those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave) police officers in the Doncaster BCU.

Police

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria were used by his Department for adopting the deadline of 23 December for submitting final proposals on police restructuring.

Liam Byrne: The former Home Secretary (Mr. Clarke) chose 23 December as the deadline for submitting final proposals because it provided sufficient time for the development of options.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether more crime data will be held centrally if constabularies are merged.

Liam Byrne: The restructuring of the police service is not expected to result in more recorded crime data being collected centrally.

Police

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued on the fitting of front-line police vehicles with satellite navigation systems; and what percentage of such vehicles in each police force have been fitted with such devices.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 May 2006
	The fitting of satellite navigation systems to front-line police vehicles is currently a local operational issue for police forces and we do not issue guidance from the Home Office. As a result we no not have data on the number of vehicles which have been fitted with such devices.

Police

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that the funding arrangements proposed for setting up the all-Wales police force meet the requirements of the local government finance acts.

Liam Byrne: Any order made under section 32 of the Police Act 1996 amalgamating the four Welsh police forces would apply relevant local government finance acts to the combined police authority at the point at which it was established.

Police

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the size was of the Metropolitan police force before the British Transport police were brought into it.

Liam Byrne: There has been no transfer of functions or staff from the British Transport police (BTP) to the Metropolitan Police Service.

Police

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers of the British Transport police are stationed within the area of North Wales police.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Police

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers of the British Transport police are regularly deployed on the Merseyrail rail network.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Police

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the North Wales police helicopter was launched for operational reasons in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Prison Governor-Grade Promotion

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department how many  (a) temporary and  (b) permanent governor-grade promotions within the Prison Service are being funded by the (i) central budget and (ii) local establishment budget; on what basis the decision was taken in each case as to where the funding should come from; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: All governor grade promotions are paid for by Prison Service areas, heads of groups (outside of establishments) or by establishment budgets. There are no central budget arrangements for promotions of governor grades whether on a temporary or substantive basis.

Public Disorder

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Lancashire were given on the spot fines for being drunk and disorderly under age in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: Provisional data from the Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that, in the Lancashire police force area in 2005, 410 penalty notices for disorder were issued to persons aged 16 and 17 for the offence of being drunk and disorderly. This is the most recent 12-month period for which complete data are available. An additional 84 notices were issued to juveniles aged 14 and 15 as a part of the Juvenile PND pilot in Lancashire during the same period.

Public Service Agreements

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department is making towards the Spending Review 2004 Public Service Agreement Target 2, on crime and anti-social behaviour and the criminal justice system; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The spending review 2004 set the following Public Service Agreement Target (PSA) for the Home Department:
	PSA 2 Reassure the public, reducing the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour and building confidence in the criminal justice system without compromising fairness.
	The former Home Secretary (Charles Clarke) published progress made against these targets in the Autumn Performance Report of December 2005 (CM6707), and the latest assessment of progress, in the Departmental Report for 2005-06 which will be published in May.
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/ho-targets-autumn-report-05

Sex Offenders

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are listed on the Register of Sex Offenders; and for how many such people a current residential address is not known to the police.

Vernon Coaker: As at 31 March 2005 (the latest point for which figures are available) there were 28,994 registered sex offenders in the community across England and Wales. One of the requirements of registration is that offenders notify to the police a home address and any other address where more than seven days a year are spent, as well as any changes to this information. Moreover, if an offender claims to be homeless or otherwise of 'no fixed abode' then they must provide the address or location of a place in the UK where they can be regularly found. Failure to supply that information, or supplying false information, is an offence punishable by up to five year's imprisonment.

Sex Tourism

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken by his Department to prevent sex tourism by British citizens, with particular reference to that involving children.

Vernon Coaker: We have reduced the period of time that registered sex offenders are allowed to spend overseas without notifying the police. Now, all registered sex offenders are required to notify the police of any foreign travel of three days duration or more. The police will use that information to decide whether it is necessary to take any action to prevent travel. That action can include applying for foreign travel orders, which we introduced in the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The orders can be sought where the police consider that the offender poses a risk of serious sexual harm to children under 16 in an overseas country.
	Since 1997, we have been able to prosecute in the British courts those who have offended against children overseas. In brief, if an act is an offence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and constitutes an offence in the country where it was committed, then the offender can be convicted and punished for their crimes in this country on their return.
	We are currently reviewing our policy and legislation relating to travelling sex offenders and will be examining whether the law needs to be strengthened further to better protect children overseas.

Speeding Offences

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether defendants charged with speeding offences face potentially higher fines if they choose to appear in court; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The maximum fine for a person convicted of speeding is set at level three, currently 1,000. The court will decide the exact amount, taking into account the offender's means and ability to pay. If the offender is offered and accepts a fixed penalty, this is set at 60.

Speeding Offences

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence defendants are entitled to receive in relation to penalties or prosecution for speeding offences; if he will take steps to include information which would enable the defendant to make a time over distance calculation of their speed; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Suspected offenders will be told that they or a vehicle of which they are the registered keeper have been detected committing a speeding offence. The provision of further information is a matter for individual chief officers of police. Some send a photograph of the vehicle with the notice of intended prosecution. Guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is that the registered keeper or person named by the keeper as driver at the time of the alleged offence should be allowed to view photographic evidence on request. If a case went to court, the prosecution would have to furnish the evidence to support the proceedings and relevant material would be disclosed under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996.

Suicides/Infanticide

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females (i) were found guilty of and (ii) pleaded guilty to complicity in or assisting (A) a suicide and (B) infanticide in (1) Southend on Sea, (2) Essex, (3) the Metropolitan police area of London, (4) Hertfordshire and (5) England and Wales in each year since 1983.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of defendants convicted at the Crown court for 'Infanticide' and 'aiding suicide' in selected police force areas and England and Wales, 1983 to 2004( 1) 
			   Metropolitan police  Hertfordshire  Essex  Southend on Sea( 2)  England and Wales 
			   Guilty plea  Conviction  Guilty plea  Conviction  Guilty plea  Conviction  Guilty plea  Conviction  Guilty plea  Conviction 
			  Infanticide   
			 1983 1 1   1 9 
			 1984 1 1  1 1 7 
			 1985  3 
			 1986  19 
			 1987 1 1   2 2 
			 1988 1 1   4 4 
			 1989 1 1   3 3 
			 1990  23 
			 1991  17 
			 1992  5 
			 1993  21  1  5 
			 1994  3 
			 1995 1 1   1 2 
			 1996 2 2   4 4 
			 1997 3 3 
			 1998 1 1   2 2 
			 1999 2 3   7 8 
			 2000 2 2 
			 2001 1 1   5 5 
			 2002 1 1   2 2 
			 2003   
			 2004   
			
			  Aiding suicide   
			 1983 1 1   1 3 
			 1984  1 
			 1985   
			 1986   
			 1987 1 1   1 1 
			 1988 2 2 
			 1989 5 5 
			 1990  8 
			 1991  3 
			 1992  1 
			 1993  3 
			 1994  1 
			 1995   1 1 1 2 
			 1996 1 2 
			 1997 4 4 
			 1998 2 3 
			 1999 1 1 
			 2000 1 1   2 2 
			 2001 2 2 
			 2002 3 4 
			 2003 1 2 
			 2004 2 3 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.  (2) Shows the number of convictions which originated from South East Essex petty sessional area.

Uninsured Drivers

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of drivers prosecuted in each of the last five years for driving while uninsured had six to eight penalty points on their driving licence.

Liam Byrne: Information is not available in the detail required.

Uninsured Drivers

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful prosecutions of uninsured drivers there have been in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Available information from 1997 to 2004 (latest available) is given in the following table.
	The figures given in the table are taken from the Home Office publication Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables. Copies are available in the Library.
	Data for 2005 will not be available till early 2007.
	
		
			  Number of proceedings at magistrates courts for offences of using motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks( 1)  by outcome, England and Wales, 1997-2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   Total proceedings  Proceedings discontinued( 2)  Charges withdrawn/dismissed  Total findings of guilt( 3) 
			 1997 396,912 16,462 122,173 257,689 
			 1998 390,074 14,806 117,650 256,974 
			 1999 393,469 14,798 143,460 234,830 
			 2000 391,659 12,191 114,180 264,874 
			 2001 388,297 11,682 108,361 266,757 
			 2002 410,963 12,709 107,729 289,064 
			 2003 447,267 12,060 110,309 323,374 
			 2004 441,819 10,051 107,717 322,816 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 143(2).  (2) Also includes discharges under section 6 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980.  (3) Includes findings of guilt at the Crown Court.   Note:  Coverage and recording practice affecting the statistics: (A) It is known that for some police force areas the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (B) Since 1990, due to the delays in implementing new counting procedures, corrective action on non-keying errors was reduced resulting in deterioration in the quality of data on summary motoring proceedings.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish a response to the report by the Children's Commissioner on his visit to the Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre on 21 October 2005.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given on 25 April 2006,  Official Report,column WA13.

Youth Crime

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance is being given to Staffordshire constabulary by his Department to tackle incidents of youth crime and antisocial behaviour in Tamworth constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Staffordshire youth offending service has a legal duty to and works closely with Staffordshire police and other partner agencies in preventing and tackling youth crime and antisocial behaviour in Staffordshire. This includes partnership around the priority and other prolific offenders strategy, on which the youth offending service leads in respect of the prevent and deter strand. Staffordshire youth offending service has established a prevention team which will be working very closely with the police, district and borough councils, the voluntary sector and schools to identify and work with young people who are at high risk of committing crime and antisocial behaviour.
	The respect action plan is central to the Government's drive to go broader, deeper and further on antisocial behaviour by tackling its root causes; preventing it occurring in the first place for example by ensuring better parenting provision and family support while not letting up on stopping anti-social behaviour that blights many communities.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Child Contact Orders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many parents with custody of their children have been prosecuted for contempt of court in relation to a breach of child contact orders in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: A contempt of court can arise within family proceedings in a variety of circumstances and it is not possible to identify the number of cases in which failure to comply with a contact order leads to the matter being dealt with as a contempt of court.

Child Contact Orders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many child contact orders have returned to court due to alleged breaches in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: This information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost. However, an analysis of a sample of court files published in the Green Paper Children's Needs and Parents' Responsibilities indicated that there were repeat applications in respect in half of the cases concerned and that a third of these repeat applications arose from breaches of contact orders.

Civil Servants (Overseas Visits)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what costs were incurred by her Department as a result of sending civil servants on overseas visits in each of the last 10 years.

Bridget Prentice: Total overseas travel costs for civil servants for the Department, which includes the Court Service, the Public Guardianship Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs Headquarters, are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Period  Amount () 
			 2005-06 164,632 
			 2004-05 154,368 
			 2003-04 172,631 
			 2002-03 145,257 
			 2001-02 96,251 
			 2000-01 153,737 
			 1999-2000 103,449 
			 1998-99 110,774 
		
	
	There has been an increase in travel costs since 2002-03, because of the increased responsibilities of the Department.
	Information on previous years is not readily available.
	All civil service travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the civil service management code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Community Courts

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent progress has been made in establishing community courts; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: There are currently two community justice projectsthe Community Justice Centre, North Liverpool and the Salford Community Justice Initiative. Both of which were launched at the end of last year.
	We will consider the lessons learned from the Liverpool and Salford projects and work with local agencies to determine ways the concept can be applied elsewhere.

Coroners' Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on the role of Coroners Officers.

Harriet Harman: Coroners officers perform a vital investigative and administrative role for their respective local coroner. My oral statement to Parliament on 6 February, and the accompanying briefing note, outlines the proposals for change in the coroners' system more broadly.

Coroners' Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps her Department is taking to assist the coroners' service with its workload following the increase in the number of reported deaths in 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Resourcing of coroners services is a local responsibility.

Coroners' Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to reform the work of coroners officers.

Harriet Harman: The Government plan to reform the coroners' system as a whole. My oral statement tothe House of Commons on 6 February, and the accompanying briefing note, outlines the proposals for change. A draft Bill, for scrutiny, will be published shortly.

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on how many occasions she has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Harriet Harman: None. Paragraph 5.28 of the ministerial code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

County Court Judgment Records

Mark Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for competitiveness of the restriction to a single third-party distributor of information based on county court judgment records.

Harriet Harman: No such assessment has been made.
	The 'Registrar' is a statutory function established by the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines Regulations 2005. Registry Trust Ltd., which is a non-profit making company, kept the Register of County Court Judgments for the Department, under the terms of a contract, since 1986. Following a review of the service in 2002 to 2004 and subsequent consultation, the Department concluded that the contract for the keeping of the register should be put out to tender from time to time.
	To ensure continuity of the provision of the register service and a smooth implementation of new regulations (which include the provision of new data in the register on unpaid fines), the Department decided in the short-term to negotiate a revised contract with Registry Trust Ltd. They have been re- appointed as Registrar to run the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines until 2009.
	We will be reviewing the options for the longer term in 2007, taking into account competitiveness issues. We currently expect to hold a competition in 2008 for the post-April 2009 contract.

County Court Judgment Records

Mark Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether she has conducted a survey of users of county court judgment records to obtain their views on the value of such records.

Harriet Harman: The Department carried out a review of the service and method of service delivery of the Register of County Court Judgments in 2003 prior to public consultation. This included research among users of county court judgment records of the use to which records are put, their current and future value and sought views on how the service could be improved.

County Court Judgment Records

Mark Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the accuracy of county court judgment records; what plans her Department has to recover the cost of improvement from the users of the records; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: An audit of the accuracy of the county court judgments recorded in the Register of County Court Judgments was carried out in 2004. This advised the drafting of amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules, the objective of which is to improve the accuracy of the data supplied to the courts by parties on issue of a claim. The cost to the courts of implementing the requirements of the amended Civil Procedure Rules is to be recovered from Registry Trust Ltd. through the charges raised by the Department for the supply of judgment records.

Departmental Assets

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the items of departmental property worth over100 that have been reported as  (a) lost and  (b) broken in the last 12 months.

Bridget Prentice: The Department has had two 15-inch flat screen monitors reported as lost in the last 12 months. The total value of this loss to the Department was 1,143.

Departmental Entertainment

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on entertainment by her Department in 2004-05; and how much of that sum is accounted for by  (a) food,  (b) alcohol,  (c) staff and  (d) accommodation.

Bridget Prentice: It is not possible to list the entertainment costs spent by the Department broken down by  (a) food,  (b) alcohol,  (c) staff and  (d) accommodation without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However, total expenditure on entertainment for the Department, which covers costs for the Court Service, the Public Guardianship Office and DCA Headquarters in 2004-05 is 78,097.
	All expenditure on official entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety that is based on principles set out in Government Accounting.

Magistrates

Rudi Vis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what training in diversity issues is compulsory for  (a) sitting and  (b) new magistrates.

Harriet Harman: For  (a), sitting magistrates, the Judicial Studies Board has included diversity within the Magistrates' National Training Initiative (MNTI 2) competence framework. This framework contains a number of knowledge and performance elements requiring magistrates to demonstrate an understanding of, among other things, Diversity and fair treatment issues, including the use of non-discriminatory language and The potential impact of your background and personal prejudices on decision making. Sitting magistrates are regularly appraised against these competences.
	For  (b), new magistrates, they must complete induction training before being allowed to sit. Diversity is a part of this programme. Following induction training, new magistrates undertake mentored sittings to identify any further training needs, using the MNTI 2 competence framework. Any needs so identified are addressed at local level. The new magistrate is first appraised after sitting for 12 to18 months, and thereafter further training follows as for sitting magistrates.

Members of Parliament Judges

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the hon. Members who are serving  (a) Crown court recorders and  (b) circuit judges.

Harriet Harman: Circuit judges are disqualified from membership of the House. Although the Department does not keep a central list of Members of Parliament who hold current appointments as Recorders, our records show that the following Members of Parliament hold that office:
	E H Gamier Esq. QC
	H J Malins Esq. CBE
	R G Marshall-Andrews Esq. QC.

Sentencing Policy

Rudi Vis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps are taken to minimise the discrepancies in sentencing practices between magistrates courts.

Harriet Harman: The Sentencing Guidelines Council promulgates guidelines to enable all criminal courts to approach the sentencing of offenders from a common starting point to promote consistency in sentencing. All courts are required to take the guidelines of the Sentencing Guidelines Council into account when sentencing offenders and have to give reasons for departing from them in any particular case. Discrepancies in sentencing in all criminal courts are therefore minimised through the use of these guidelines. Currently magistrates courts use the Magistrates Courts Sentencing Guidelines issued in 2004 by the Magistrates Association but these are to be replaced by guidelines produced by the Sentencing Guidelines Council. Appealing against sentence to the Crown court is another mechanism for ensuring consistency of sentencing in the magistrates courts. Consistency in sentencing is further promoted through the publication of judgments on appeals to the Court of Appeal from the Crown court.

Staff Development

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total cost was of  (a) staff away days and  (b) staff team building exercises in her Department in each of the last three years.

Bridget Prentice: The cost of  (a) staff away days and  (b) staff team building exercises in the Department in each of the last three years is not separately identifiable within the Department's accounts without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The Department is committed to providing access to training for staff and developing them to their full potential.

Tribunals Service

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the estimated net cost is of establishing the Tribunals Service in each of the five financial years from 2006-07.

Harriet Harman: The latest estimated cost of operating the Tribunal Service for the first five years from 2006-07 is:
	
		
			   million 
			   Cost 
			 2006-07 300 
			 2007-08 297 
			 2008-09 307 
			 2009-10 315 
			 2010-11 325 
		
	
	The first two years reflects a 15 million efficiency baseline saving in each year from the total cost of running the tribunals separately. The cost of the final three years includes the 15 million a year baseline saving but does not take into account any further efficiency to be identified within the Tribunals Service. The final three years include cost increases due to assumptions of pay awards at the current levels of judicial and staff salary costs and inflation but makes no further assumptions as to targets or further savings or efficiencies.

Voter Registration

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Government spent in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006 on campaigns to increase voter registration, including grants to local authorities.

Bridget Prentice: In 2005, the Government spent 2,132 on the launch of the London-based campaign to raise awareness of the need to register. In 2006, the Government spent 192,571 on this 1824 Collective campaign which promoted awareness of voter registration amongst London's urban youth using the creative concept of an urban music collective to appeal to 18-24 year olds.
	During 2006 the Government will also provide grants totalling 90,600 to seven English local authorities to explore new methods of encouraging young people to register to vote through working with youth organisations and further and higher education institutions.

HEALTH

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of which at-risk groups would benefit from screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm;
	(2)  what plans she has to introduce screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Rosie Winterton: The United Kingdom national screening committee (NSC) has advised that screening for men aged 65 for abdominal aortic aneurysms can be recommended in principle subject to the two critical issues of ensuring appropriate configuration and to deliver high quality treatment services and providing information and support to enable men to make an informed choice about whether to be screened.
	Ministers have noted the advice of the NSC and further detailed work is in progress.

Adverse Drug Reactions

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the online adverse drug reaction report information analyses for the use of the general public will be updated from the January 2004 materials; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the commission on human medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the yellow card scheme. Approximately 19,000 reports of suspected ADRs are reported to the MHRA/CHM through this scheme each year by health professionals and patients.
	The MHRA are committed to making drug safety information derived from the yellow card scheme as accessible as possible. To this end, in January 2005 the MHRA published aggregated, anonymised data summarising the suspected ADRs reported for all medicines on its website. At initial publication this information comprised reports received up to January 2004.
	In September 2005 the information was updated to June 2005 and this is the information currently available online. A further update of the information to bring it up to March 2006 is in progress and will be in place by the end of May.
	The MHRA is currently implementing a major upgrade of the drug safety monitoring database and data reporting systems. This upgrade includes a review of the presentation of aggregated drug safety information with a view to making the information easier to interpret.
	Subsequent to this redesign, the MHRA will update the adverse drug reaction data on a three-monthly cycle.

Anaesthetics

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the supply of  (a) dental anaesthetic and  (b) anaesthetics used in hospitals in relation to expected demand in 2006;
	(2)  what recent assessment she has made of the supply of anaesthetic to the NHS from Dentsply; what action she is taking to meet shortfalls in supply; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  whether consideration is being given  (a) to supplementing 2.2ml cartridges of dental anaesthetic with 1.8ml cartridges and  (b) to licensing the latter.

Andy Burnham: Departmental officials have met with the two companies who manufacture dental cartridges for the United Kingdom market. Deproco has increased its production to meet the predicted shortfall in the market created by the temporary absence of Dentsply, and is making regular weekly supplies. Based on historic demand the Department's assessment is that these should be sufficient for all dental sectors.
	Dentsply is seeking approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for a new production site, and in the meantime has obtained MHRA approval to supply a limited amount of 1.8 millilitre (ml) cartridges. The Chief Dental Officer has written to dentists and issued a statement on the Department's website to explain the supply issues and advise dentists not to stockpile.
	Companies may take the commercial decision to enter the dental anaesthetic market with 1.8ml or 2.2ml cartridges. As with other medicines, these products must be licensed by the MHRA.

Bowel Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many faecal occult blood kits had been  (a) ordered and  (b) received by 29 March in preparation for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme;
	(2)  how many individuals she expects to receive faecal occult blood kits as part of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme by 31 December.

Rosie Winterton: The first order of 100,000 testing kits has been made with the supplier. We estimate that between 100,000 and 120,000 men and women will be screened in 2006-07.

Bowel Cancer

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme will be extended to Durham.

Rosie Winterton: The bowel cancer screening programme will be rolled out across the whole of England over the next three years.
	Five programme hubs across England will invite men and women to participate in the screening programme, send out the faecal occult blood (FOB) testing kits, interpret kits and send results out.
	The first of the five programme hubs will be established in Rugby. The national cancer screening team are currently assessing where the other programme hubs will be located and announcements will be made as soon as possible.
	Ninety to 100 local screening centres will provide endoscopy services for the 2 per cent. of men and women who have a positive FOB test result.
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs) were asked to bid last August for their local endoscopy units to become local screening centres as part of the first wave of the programme in 2006-07. Similar exercises will take place for the second wave in 2007-08 and the third wave in 2008-09. It is up to SHAs to decide where local screening centres should be located for the benefit of their own populations.
	We intend that all five programme hubs will be established, and around 14 local screening centres will be operating, out of a total of 90 to 100 for full national coverage, by March 2007.

Breast Screening

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the mobile breast screening unit to visit Great Dunmow; and what the date was of its last visit.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Breast Screening

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the breast screening programme at St. Margaret's hospital, Epping; how many women are waiting to be examined; and for how long each has been waiting.

Rosie Winterton: It is for primary care trusts to commission services to meet the needs of the populations that they serve. However, I understand that the breast screening service in West Essex, based at St. Margaret's hospital, Epping, was suspended between November 2004 and January 2006.
	Screening resumed at the end of January 2006 with a limited service initially with a phased implementation plan to expand the service from one mobile unit to two units later this year.
	The data as to the number of women waiting to be examined are not held centrally.

Breast Screening

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the catchment area is for breast screening for Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford.

Rosie Winterton: The Colchester and Chelmsford breast screening services cover Mid Essex Hospital (of which Broomfield hospital is a part), and Essex Rivers catchment areas and therefore offer a screening service to approximately 83,000 women living in Chelmsford, Maldon, Witham, Braintree, Halstead, Colchester and Tendring.

Cancer

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her Department's Cancer Plan.

Rosie Winterton: The Cancer Plan set out our 10-year strategy for cancer services in England. We are now almost six years into the plan and are focusing on delivering its commitments.
	Progress reports on the NHS Cancer Plan were published in 2001, 2003 and 2004, which showed considerable successes and improvements in cancer services in England, while acknowledging that more remains to be done.
	Additionally, in March 2005 the National Audit Office published their review of the NHS Cancer Plan. Their review acknowledged the significant improvements in the management and provision of cancer services since the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan and the good progress already made against the major targets.

Cancer

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the five most common causes of lung cancer are in England.

Rosie Winterton: The greatest risk factor for causing lung cancer is smoking tobacco, which causes 90 per cent. of cases of lung cancer in men and 80 per cent. of cases of lung cancer in women.
	Other risk factors include exposure to industrial carcinogens, such as asbestos, exposure to radon gas and its decay products, and air pollution.
	Scarring from previous lung disease has been related to increased risk, but would account for a very small proportion of lung cancer cases. Smoking tobacco remains by far the most important risk factor.

Cannabis-based Medicine

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the granting of product approval of cannabis-based medicine.

Andy Burnham: My right hon. Friend, the then Minister of State (Jane Kennedy) had some contact with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the issue of approval of cannabis-based medicinal products from time to time. The MHRA also provided periodic briefing documents on the progress of one marketing authorisation application as background information in support of a variety of parliamentary questions related to cannabis- based medicinal products.

Chernobyl

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the possible health effects in England of radioactive fallout from Chernobyl in respect of incidences of  (a) thyroid cancer,  (b) other solid cancers,  (c) leukaemia,  (d) non-cancer diseases and  (e) genetic diseases.

Caroline Flint: Following the Chernobyl reactor accident in 1986 preliminary assessments of the radiation doses were carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB, now part of the Health Protection Agency (HPA)). In particular, NRPB carried out a study for the European Commission (EUR 11523a preliminary assessment of the radiological impact of the Chernobyl reactor accident on the population of the European Community) which was published in 1988. This included estimates of the risks of radiation-induced thyroid cancers and total fatal cancers in the population of the European Commission.
	The Chernobyl accident was also included in the NRPB study (NRPB-R276) which considered the risks of leukaemia and other cancers in Seascale from all sources of ionising radiation exposure, published in 1995. Since this time, NRPB has not carried out any further assessments of possible health effects from the Chernobyl accident. However, the NRPB has commented on other papers in the public domain, for example in the response to the Report of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters which is available on the HPA's website at: www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publications/misc_ publications/nrpb_response_to_cerrie_report.htm.
	A paper by Dolk et al in 1999 considered the impact of Chernobyl on the prevalence of congenital abnormalities in 16 regions in Europe (Int J Epidemiol 28: 941-8) and found no detectable impact in Western Europe. The effect of the Chernobyl accident on thyroid cancers was also considered in a paper and editorial in volume 37 of the European Journal of Cancer in 1991.

Class A Drugs

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to increase the number of residential rehabilitation places available for those addicted to class A drugs.

Caroline Flint: The Government recognise that residential rehabilitation has a key role to play in ensuring that we have a comprehensive range of treatment services available to meet the needs of drug misusers.
	The National Treatment Agency's treatment effectiveness strategy, launched last year, identifies residential rehabilitation as one of the most effective ways of meeting the needs of drug misusers with complex needs.
	I hope to be able, in the near future, to announce what resources will be available to commissioners and partners to support the improvements in both quality and capacity we are committed to ensuring.

Correspondence

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Vale of York of 30 March and 18 April on breast screening; and if she will make a statement on the status of breast screening at St. Margaret's hospital, Epping.

Rosie Winterton: Replies were sent to the hon. Members on 4 May.
	It is for the primary care trust to commission services to meet the needs of those communities that they serve.

Dentistry

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a local resolution procedure available to dentists in dispute with primary care trusts over the new dental contract.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) and dental contractors have a duty to try and resolve any dispute locally before it is referred to the National Health Service Litigation Authority. This duty is set out in Schedule 3, Part 7, of The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/3361) and in Schedule 3, Part 7 of The National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2005 (SI2005/3373). It is good practice for PCTs to have established a local disputes procedure to deal with such matters.

Dentistry

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists were available to NHS patients in the Chichester district on 1 April, or the latest date for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: As at 31 December 2005, there were 58 NHS dentists with a general dental services (GDS) or personal dental services (PDS) contract within Chichester parliamentary constituency. A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses and has agreed with their primary care trust. Information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual GDS or PDS dentists is not centrally available.
	Information on the number of dentists who have signed the new contract is not available centrally. We do however have some provisional information that covers contracts. A contract may be for more than one dentist so cannot be broken down further to individual dentist level.
	Provisional management estimates show that in Western Sussex primary care trust (PCT):
	
		
			   Number  Approximate UDA( 1)  value  Percentage UDAs  Number signed without dispute  Number signed in dispute  Percentage disputes 
			 Contracts signed 23 175,753  11 12 52.2 
			 Contracts still in discussion 1 1,022 
			 Contracts rejected 2 956 0.5
			 (1 )Units of dental activity.   Notes:  1. Data include all notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS, received by the NHS Business Services Authority, up to 23 March 2006. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending upon the notification period, e.g. data with a later notification period will include more recent notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS.  2. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Prison contracts have been excluded.  3. The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas. Constituency areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics all fields postcode directory.  4. Data on the number of dentists working only in private practice are not held centrally. 
		
	
	PCTs are working with dentists to resolve as many disputes as possible locally.

Dentistry

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding her Department has provided to  (a) East Hull and West Hull primary care trust and  (b) the NHS for dental services in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested. The table shows ringfenced funding provided to primary care trusts (PCTs) which is guaranteed for three years.
	
		
			  PCT  2003-04 gross costs (2006-07 prices) ()  2006-07 gross budget ()  Increase (percentage) 
			 Eastern Hull 6,222,135.36 6,833,900 9.8 
			 West Hull 7,812,165.04 8,300,214 6.2

Dentistry

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) dentists and  (b) dental practices in the Eastbourne Downs Primary Care Trust area have (i) signed and (ii) not signed the new NHS contract.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of dentists who have signed the new contract is not available centrally. We do however have some provisional information that covers contracts. A contract may be for more than one dentist so cannot be broken down further to individual dentist level.
	Provisional management estimates show that in Eastbourne Downs Primary Care Trust (PCT):
	
		
			   Estimates 
			  Contracts signed  
			 Number 39 
			 Approximate units of dental activity (UDA) value 232,661 
			   
			  Contracts still in discussion  
			 Number 3 
			 Approximate UDA value 1,757 
			   
			  Contracts rejected  
			 Number 6 
			 Approximate UDA value 13,600 
			 Percentage UDAs 5.5 
			   
			  Contracts signed  
			 Number signed without dispute 38 
			 Number signed in dispute 1 
			 Percentage disputes 2.6 
			  Note:  The information provided is not validated. It represents a snapshot of the position in early April. 
		
	
	A contract may be for either a practice or an individual dentist.
	PCTs are working with dentists to resolve as many disputes as possible locally.

Dentistry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Portsmouth  (a) were registered with dentists who have not signed and  (b) are registered with dentists who have signed the new NHS contract for dentistry.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of dentists who have signed the new contract is not available centrally. We do however have some provisional information that covers contracts, contract may be for more than one dentist so cannot be broken down further to individual dentist level.
	Provisional management estimates show that in Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust (PCT):
	
		
			   Estimates 
			  Contracts signed  
			 Number 30 
			 Approximate units of dental activity (UDA) value 283,111 
			   
			  Contracts still in discussion  
			 Number 0 
			 Approximate UDA value 0 
			   
			  Contracts rejected  
			 Number 4 
			 Approximate UDA value 26,273 
			 Percentage UDAs 8.5 
			   
			  Contracts signed  
			 Number signed without dispute 14 
			 Number signed in dispute 16 
			 Percentage disputes 53 
			  Note:  The information provided is not validated. It represents a snapshot of the position in early April. 
		
	
	PCTs are working with dentists to resolve as many disputes as possible locally.
	The figures show that the majority of national health service dentists in Portsmouth have accepted the new NHS contract and as a consequence the loss is relatively minimal. The PCT will use the funding available to purchase additional UDAs from other interested dentists in the short term to seek to maintain levels of dentistry.

Dentistry

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists who have signed the new NHS dental contract have given notice that they intend to resign from that contact.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Under the new dental contract, as under the old arrangements, dentists are required to give three months' notice of giving up a national health service contract.

Dentistry

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the targets are for units of dental activity for 2006-07, broken down by primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not set targets for primary care trusts for units of dental activity.

Dentistry

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in North West Cambridgeshire have  (a) signed and  (b) not signed the new contract for NHS dentists.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of dentists who have signed the new contract is not available centrally. We do however have some provisional information that covers contacts. A contract may be for more than one dentist and so cannot be broken down further to individual dentist level.
	The table shows the number of contracts for national health service dentists that have been signed in the North West Cambridgeshire area.
	
		
			  Primary care trust (PCT)  Contracts signed  Contracts rejected 
			 South Peterborough PCT 11 3 
			 Huntingdonshire PCT 24 4 
			  Source:  Data collected from strategic health authorities.

Diabetes

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2005,  Official Report, columns 2108-09W, on diabetes, what criteria she used in making the decision not to refer all insulin products used in the UK to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 3 May 2006
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guidelines on the management of both type one and type two diabetes conclude that the majority of studies indicate that both human and animal insulins are equally effective and report no significant differences in hypoglycaemic episodes and glycaemic control between the insulin of human and animal chemical structures.
	I understand that the choice of insulin is influenced by other factors such as delivery systems and cultural preferences, and so the decision to use one or other of the insulin types rests entirely with the physician, in consultation with the patient.

Diagnostic Scans

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the performance of Alliance Medical Ltd. in providing diagnostic scans in the NHS; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what aspects of performance her Department examines when carrying out  (a) weekly,  (b) monthly and  (c) annual assessments of the performance of Alliance Medical Ltd. in providing diagnostic scans in the NHS.

Andy Burnham: Alliance Medical Ltd.'s contract performance is reviewed by a combination of the weekly and monthly activity reports. The aspects of performance that are assessed include the volume of scans, number of patients contacted and booked, report dispatch times, patient satisfaction, referrer satisfaction, cancellations and quality of radiological reporting. These are collected on a monthly basis. Weekly data are also collected on the number of scans performed at each site visited.
	In addition, the clinical aspects of the service have been assessed through joint Departmental and Royal College of Radiologists clinical audits. Each audit compared performance of the Alliance Medical Ltd. service with that of the NHS. The second audit was published on 11 May 2006 and on the Royal College of Radiologists' website at: www.rcr.ac.uk/docs/radiology/pdf/MR_CG_Audit_April2006.pdf.

Embryonic Stem Cells (Teeth)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research has been  (a) funded and  (b) carried out by her Department on the use of embryonic stem cells to develop human teeth; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what her policy is on the use of stem cells to grow human teeth; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Department is not funding research into stem cells for creating replacement teeth. The Government believe that stem cell research offers enormous potential to deliver new treatments, including the improved reconstructive dental surgery for those who have suffered severe injury or cancer.
	To date, the published scientific evidence has not established which types of stem cells will be the most useful for human therapies. Therefore, following the UK stem cell initiative report in 2005, the Government have announced up to 100 million for all forms of stem cell research in 2006 to 2008.

Foster Review

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Foster Review of non-medical health regulation is expected to be published; and how much time she expects to make available for consultation about its recommendations.

Andy Burnham: We will publish our decisions on the review of non-medical professional regulation and on the chief medical officer's review of medical revalidation and related subjects in due course. We will identify any matters requiring consultation and announce the duration of such consultation.

GP Contract

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the ability of  (a) GP practices and  (b) primary care trusts to fund (i) the purchase of new buildings and(ii) the rental of premises under the new GP contract; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: General practitioner practices should seek the agreement of their primary care trust (PCT) on plans to move to new practice premises. Irrespective of the new general medical services contract, general practitioner practices have always had the ability to lease rented premises or borrow capital to fund new-build premises. In turn, primary care trusts and their predecessor bodies have the ability to consider funding agreed associated revenue costs from their resource allocations.

Health Professionals' Councils

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Health what the cost was to public funds of the  (a) General Osteopathic Council,  (b) General Chiropractic Council and  (c) Health Professions Council in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06.

Andy Burnham: No money was paid to these organisations, which are self-funded through registrants' subscriptions, with the exception of 1,465.40 paid to the General Chiropractic Council in 2005-06 for the cost of room hire and catering.

Herceptin

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Herceptin at treating early stage breast cancer;
	(2)  when she expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to issue its guidelines on the prescription of Herceptin to patients with early stage breast cancer.

Rosie Winterton: It is not the role of the Department to assess the effectiveness of treatments.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority in the United Kingdom and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for the European Union (EU) consider the safety and efficacy of treatments. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) considers the clinical and cost effectiveness of certain licensed treatments for use in the national health service.
	In February 2006, Roche applied to the EMEA to extend its licence indication for Herceptin to include adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer. At the end of April, the EMEA's committee for medicinal products for human use recommended that Herceptin be approved for this indication. The next stage in the regulatory process is for the European Commission to evaluate this recommendation with a view to issuing marketing authorisation in the EU. A decision is expected in a few weeks.
	Herceptin for early stage breast cancer has already been referred to NICE. The appraisal is proceeding, through the new fast track process for single technology appraisals, in parallel with the licensing process. NICE has indicated that guidance could be available in July, subject to licensing.

Herceptin

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she has received from the national cancer director on the merits of prescribing Herceptin to treat early stage breast cancer.

Rosie Winterton: The views of the national cancer director are taken into account when submissions and briefings are put to Ministers on cancer-related issues although these are not always specifically identified. In addition, the national cancer director may take the opportunity to provide Ministers with advice or views on specific issues during the course of meetings. A detailed record of these discussions will not always be taken.
	In relation to Herceptin, the national cancer director has made the Secretary of State aware of the reasons why oncologists specialising in breast cancer have found the preliminary findings of recent trials so encouraging. For example:
	the studies were large trials, involving over 12,000 women, and appeared to have been conducted to a high standard;
	the findings in relation to disease free survival from all of the studies were remarkably consistent adding to the robustness of the data;
	both the HERA trial (carried out in Europe) and the combined American trial (NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831) had reported significant benefits in distant recurrence free survival which could be an early surrogate for improved overall survival in breast cancer trials;
	in general the absolute benefits of adjuvant therapies are small in the early years but increase over time;
	the benefits of Herceptin are additional to those seen with standard adjuvant therapies;
	the cardiac side-effects of Herceptin were well recognised and experience suggested that they were manageable and were outweighed by the benefits of Herceptin.
	However, he has also made clear that the data is immature and no-one can therefore be certain of the long term benefits or harms of using Herceptin to treat early breast cancer.

Herceptin

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in England have applied to be treated with Herceptin for early stage breast cancer and are awaiting funding.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect information on the numbers of patients applying for specific treatments and awaiting funding decisions by their primary care trusts.

Herceptin

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether primary care trusts in England may refuse to prescribe Herceptin to patients with early stage breast cancer on the grounds of its cost;
	(2)  whether primary care trusts in England have been given written guidance on the circumstances under which it is acceptable to refuse to prescribe Herceptin to patients with early stage breast cancer.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) do not make prescribing decisions. It is for individual clinicians, in discussion with a patient, to decide whether or not it is suitable to prescribe a specific drug. PCTs may need to be involved to decide whether to support the clinician's decision and supply the drug at NHS expense. PCTs need to take a range of factors into account, including local factors, when considering the funding of drugs and other treatments.
	Guidance has not been issued to primary care trusts in England on the circumstances under which it is acceptable to refuse to prescribe Herceptin to patients with early stage breast cancer. However, the national cancer research institute (NCRI) has produced a United Kingdom clinical guideline on the use of Herceptin for early breast cancer. This provides useful information to those considering prescribing Herceptin for this indication in advance of a decision on licensing and the publication of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance. The NCRI guidance was brought to the attention of PCTs via Issue 300 of the chief executive's bulletin published on 13 January 2006.

Herceptin

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost is to each primary care trust in England of a course of Herceptin for patients with early stage breast cancer.

Rosie Winterton: Data are not held on the cost to individual primary care trusts (PCTs) of any particular treatment.
	The cost of Herceptin for the treatment of early stage breast cancer is estimated to be in the region of 20,000 per patient per year. The cost per PCT would depend on the number of women diagnosed with HER2+ early stage breast cancer in each PCT for whom Herceptin might be appropriate.

Herceptin

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what European drug prescription agencies have issued guidelines on the prescription of Herceptin to patients with early stage breast cancer.

Andy Burnham: Herceptin is a centrally authorised product across the European Union (EU). This means that, rather than each country's licensing body assessing the safety and efficacy of this drug, it is assessed by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA)which has representation from each member state's licensing body. The regulatory indication approved by the EMEA applies to all member states.
	Herceptin currently has an EU-wide licence for use treating advanced breast cancer and an application is currently being processed by the EMEA to extend this licence to include the adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer. At the end of April, the EMEA's committee for medicinal products for human use recommended that Herceptin be approved for this indication. The next stage in the regulatory process is for the European Commission to evaluate this recommendation with a view to issuing marketing authorisation in the EU. A decision is expected in a few weeks.
	The Department does not hold up-to-date information about what, if any, guidance bodies elsewhere in Europe may have issued about use of Herceptin for early stage breast cancer prior to a decision on licensing. This information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Home Treatment

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make extra funding available for new technologies that are designed to treat wounds outside the hospital setting.

Andy Burnham: For any new appliance to be prescribed on the national health service by a general practitioner, it must be listed under Part IX of the Drug Tariff. A listing on Part IX is only possible following a successful application from the appliance manufacturer. This involves consideration of its effectiveness compared to other products, its impact on quality of life, suitability for prescribing in primary care, and price. On listing there are agreed arrangements for funding.
	If the appliance manufacturer wishes to make an application to place their product on Part IX of the Drug Tariff, they should contact the prescription pricing division of the Business Services Authority.
	The Government are also working closely with industry to facilitate the introduction of beneficial new medical technologies into the NHS and social care system.

Insulin Supplies

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what contingency plans have been made by  (a) her Department and  (b) Wockhardt UK to ensure that supplies of animal insulins are sufficient to enable their continued and widespread use when Novo Nordisk supplies are no longer available;
	(2)  what alternative sources of animal insulins are under consideration from outside the UK to supply the needs of UK users in the event of Wockhardt UK experiencing further difficulties of production and supply; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Department is in regular contact with Wockhardt. The company is currently enhancing its production capacity. It is working towards building contingency stocks for each of its insulin presentations. It is also taking steps to identify a contract manufacturer as a back-up in the event of problems at its current manufacturing site.
	The Department is aware of other possible suppliers of animal insulin elsewhere in the world, but it is up to individual companies to decide where they market their products. The Department is not aware of any companies from outside the United Kingdom (UK) who plan to market animal insulin in the UK.

Insulin Supplies

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of insulin products in use in the UK have been fully assessed for their  (a) comparative clinical and cost-effectiveness and  (b) long-term safety and efficacy by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will refer all insulin products to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for a comparative clinical and cost-effectiveness and long-term safety and efficacy evaluation with a request that NICE develops standard guidance on the use of insulins; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: All licensed insulins have been fully assessed and found to satisfy the regulatory requirements for quality, safety and efficacy. The safety of human insulins in clinical practice is continually monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the European Medicines Agency.
	Clinical guidelines produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the management of both type one and type two diabetes conclude that the majority of studies indicate that both human and animal insulins are equally effective and report no significant differences in hypoglycaemic episodes and glycaemic control between the insulin of human and animal chemical structures.

Insulin Supplies

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it costs the NHS Purchase and Supply Agency to buy one presentation of  (a) Hypurin Bovine Isophane and  (b) Levemir insulin.

Andy Burnham: The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency does not currently contract for these two products. The price that national health service trusts in England pay is the published list price less wholesaler discount which would normally be around 11 per cent.

Medical Practitioners

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the annual suicide rate of medical practitioners in each year since 1998 in England; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the format requested. Information on the number of deaths and proportional mortality ratios for suicide and undetermined injury in medical practitioners (persons aged 20 to 74) in England and Wales in each year since 1998 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Proportional mortality ratios( 1)  for suicide and undetermined injury( 2)  in medical practitioners( 3)  persons aged 20-74, England and Wales, 1998-2004( 4) 
			95 per cent. confidence interval  
			   Proportional mortality ratio  Lower confidence interval  Upper confidence interval  Number of deaths 
			 1998 181 (106 290) * 17 
			 1999 198 (115 317) * 17 
			 2000 293 (183 443) * 22 
			 2001 234 (145 357) * 21 
			 2002 198 (121 305) * 20 
			 2003 201 (117 322) * 17 
			 2004 210 (127 328) * 19 
			 * Statistically significant (95 per cent. confidence intervals not overlapping 100). (1) All deaths from suicide = 100. (2) Data selected using the international classification of diseases ninth revision (ICD-9) codes for deaths from 1998 to 2000 and international classification of diseases tenth revision (ICD-10) codes for death from 2001 onwards. The codes used are as follows: ICD-9E950-E959, E980-E989 excluding E988.8 ICD-10 X60-X84, Y10-Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the verdict was pending.  (3) Occupations selected using the standard occupational classification (1990) for the years 1998 to 2000 and the standard occupational classification (2000) for the years 2001 to 2004. The codes used are as follows: Standard Occupational Classification (1990)220 medical practitioners Standard Occupational Classification (2000)2,211 medical practitioners.  (4) Data are for occurrences of deaths in each calendar year.   Source:  Office for National Statistics.

Medicines Review Processes

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the potential effect on costs of ensuring patient compliance with dosing regimens and effective medicine review processes.

Andy Burnham: No specific overall assessment has been made of the potential effect on costs of ensuring patient compliance with dosing regimes and effective medicine review processes. However, evidence shows that up to 50 per cent. of prescription medicines for long-term conditions are not being taken as intended, and that adverse reactions to medicines are implicated in 5 to 7 per cent. of hospital admissions.
	A number of factors would need to be taken into account in making such an assessment. Through improved compliance, patients may benefit more from their treatment, both in terms of length and quality of life. More medicines may be prescribed, but those that are prescribed would be less likely to be wasted. Better management of a patient's condition may reduce the need for more specialist care, including admission to hospital. The provision of effective medication review processes would also have costs in terms of service delivery, for example through payments under the quality and outcomes framework for general medical services or fees to community pharmacists for medicine usage reviews.

Mental Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) early intervention teams and (b) assertive outreach teams have been (i) closed and (ii) reduced due to financial deficits in mental health services in the last 12 months.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not routinely collect information about local service reconfigurations or the reasons for them. Such decisions are for primary care trusts to make in consultation with local health partners and in accordance with assessment of the needs of the local population.
	Data on mental health teams are collated through the Durham adult mental health service mapping. The January 2006 data will be available at the end of May.

National Blood Service

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  to what use the National Blood Service premises in the Midlands will be put after services provided there are moved to Bristol; and what the estimated cost is of converting the building for new use;
	(2)  what measures she has put in place to ensure that provision of blood to patients in the Midlands is not adversely affected by the closure of National Blood Services in Birmingham; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: A key factor in the successful delivery of NHS Blood and Transplant's (NHSBT) activities is implementation of its estate strategy. As part of its estate strategy the National Blood Service (NBS), an operating division of NHSBT, has proposed the development of a new site at Filton, Bristol.
	To build this new centre in the most cost-effective way, NBS proposes to consolidate some services into the new Filton site from centres in Birmingham, Southampton and Plymouth. These services are those which do not need to be close to the patient, such as blood processing and testing. The NBS will ensure that this has no adverse effect on patients across the Birmingham and South West area.
	The NBS does not propose to close any centres, including the Birmingham centre. It will continue to provide critical services from Birmingham. For example, the centre will continue to have a local blood bank to meet orders for blood. This will ensure that there is no adverse impact on patients around Birmingham.
	The NBS centre in Birmingham will require development, even after these changes, to ensure that those services which remain in Birmingham are provided from buildings which are fit for purpose. A number of options are being considered.

NHS Dispensing Contractors

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government will publish their response to the consultation paper 'Proposals to simplify the reimbursement arrangements for NHS dispensing contractors' and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Due to the large number and technical nature of the proposals consulted on in this paper, it is intended to proceed with the issues raised in the consultation individually. The first announcement, covering changes to the zero discount arrangements, was published on the Department's website on25 April. Decisions and announcements covering further proposals will be made in due course.
	A summary of the responses received to this consultation document is also available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk.

NHS Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial penalties are applied to  (a) NHS trusts and  (b) strategic health authorities for (i) running continuing deficits and (ii) overspending in a single financial year; and what assessment she has made of the impact of such penalties on patient care.

Andy Burnham: Under the cross-Government resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) regime, national health service organisations carry forward their year-end level of over or under-spending. The carry-forward is based on the total deficit or surplus at the end of the year, which will reflect overspending in-year as well as spending in previous years.
	For 2005-06, the NHS Bank has developed an incentive scheme whereby the level of overspending carry-forward into 2006-07 is subject to an uplift of 10 per cent. The carry-forward regime and the NHS Bank incentive scheme are operated at strategic health authority (SHA) level. SHAs have discretion over how they apply it to their organisations.
	The level of carry-forward and the NHS Bank incentive scheme will be factored into the financial planning for 2006-07. The plans for 2006-07 have not yet been agreed by the Department.
	All areas of the country will continue to see improvements in patient care in 2006-07.

NHS Finance

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the financial recovery plan for health trusts in London will be in place; and what measures have been adopted to ensure that it will be fair and transparent.

Andy Burnham: The five strategic health authorities (SHAs) in London are responsible for ensuring that those trusts that need financial recovery plans have produced plans that are fair and transparent. From 1 July 2006, the new London SHA will take over this responsibility.
	The Department is working with the SHAs to finalise the financial plan for the national health service for 2006-07.
	To support the work of the SHAs in their work with specific trusts and primary care trusts, the Secretary of State announced the establishment of turnaround teams in a written ministerial statement on 1 December 2005,  Official Report, column 37WS. The teams comprise experts with a mix of commercial and NHS turnaround skills.
	Local turnaround teams are agreeing a tailored package of support with the organisations facing the largest challenges and with their SHA. This will help them to achieve financial balance and provide services more efficiently. The teams will support the chief executive of the organisation. The chief executive remains accountable for the financial performance, establishing financial recovery plans and measures to ensure they are fair and transparent..

NHS Finance

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for the NHS financial recovery plan; and whether those organisations which have been asked to reduce spending will receive a clear indication of how funding levels will be restored over an agreed period.

Andy Burnham: The Department is working with the strategic health authorities (SHA) to finalise the financial plan for the national health service for 2006-07. The plan will deliver financial balance across the NHS in 2006-07. SHAs are supporting trusts and primary care trusts in producing robust local plans which will have locally agreed timetables.
	All organisations need to fulfil their statutory financial duties which include ensuring that income and expenditure is in balance. Where there are local agreements to create a financial reserve fund, the SHA will also ensure these agreements are fair.

NHS Finance

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether guidance has been issued to London health organisations seeking financial support under the financial recovery plan on  (a) the actions they must take and  (b) the consequences of not complying.

Andy Burnham: The planning framework for the national health service is set out in National Standards Local Action which was issued in July 2004 and covers the period 2005-06 to 2007-08. The Department has issued specific guidance for 2006-07 called The Operating Framework for 2006-07 and a follow up letter from the Acting Chief Executive of the NHS was issued on 10 May. There has been no specific guidance to organisations in London from the Department.

Palliative Care

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of palliative care services at the Frenchay site of North Bristol NHS Trust.

Caroline Flint: Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority reports that the plans for the redevelopment of the Frenchay site as a community hospital include the retention of the present unit for palliative care.
	Primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning and funding services for their resident population, including palliative care. We have set out in Our health, our care, our say a programme of action that will deliver increased choice to all patients at the end of life about where they are cared for. We will be working with key stakeholders in taking this forward.

Patient Packs

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to establish a means of standardising patient packs; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: We are not convinced that it is for the Government to tell manufacturers what pack sizes they should produce. Further, any European Community law implications of such a measure would need to be considered. In any event, standardisation of sizes of packs manufactured in the United Kingdom would not solve the problem of pack size variety, as packs imported from other European Union countries could be of any size.
	A consultation on simplification of reimbursement arrangements for national health service dispensing contractors was issued last year. This included measures designed to further promote patient pack dispensing. We are currently considering responses to this consultation.

Pharmacy Contracts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) support and  (b) guidance she has issued to pharmacists in Portsmouth to develop medicine utilisation reviews under the new pharmacy contract; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: This is a matter for determination by the local primary care trust (PCT) and I am advised there are a number of local initiatives under way or being developed.
	The Department has issued national guidance to all PCTs on medicines use reviews (MURs), which PCTs may use in assisting pharmacists in the development of a successful MUR service. A patient information leaflet about the service has been made available to pharmacies, which will assist pharmacists in explaining the service to their patients.

Premature Births

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has spent on research into premature births in each year since 1996; and how much she plans to spend in each of the next five years.

Andy Burnham: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation.
	The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. The policy research programme in particular supports the national perinatal epidemiology unit. Much of the unit's work on the compromised foetus and baby focuses on or is linked to preterm birth.
	Spend by the MRC on projects related to premature birth and by the Department's national research programmes is shown in the table.
	
		
			   million 
			   MRC  Department of Health 
			 1996-97 (1) 0.9 
			 1997-98 0.9 0.7 
			 1998-99 0.8 0.7 
			 1999-2000 1.2 0.8 
			 2000-01 1.9 0.8 
			 2001-02 1.6 0.8 
			 2002-03 2.7 0.6 
			 2003-04 2.3 1.1 
			 2004-05 (1) 0.7 
			 2005-06 (1) 1.0 
			 (1)Not available.  Notes:  1. The full cost of several large cohort studies where the premature birth component of the study is relatively small is included in these figures. 2. Total national perinatal epidemiology unit funding and the part (2005-06) cost of one health technology assessment programme project. 
		
	
	In addition, the MRC supports a large portfolio of reproductive tract research and underpinning reproductive medicine and paediatric research.
	Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is currently devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects including a number concerned with premature birth are available on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.
	The MRC and the Department plan to continue to invest in this area of research.

Prescription Charges

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place for patients who are unable to pay for prescriptions but are not eligible for free prescriptions.

Andy Burnham: Those that do have to pay prescription charges may be entitled to help under the NHS Low Income Scheme. They can apply by completing an HC1 form. These are available from Jobcentre Plus offices or by phoning on 0845 850 1166.
	Alternatively, people can purchase a four-month prescription pre-payment certificate which will save them money if they anticipate requiring more than five prescription items during the four months. A 12-month certificate is also cost-effective if the patient requires14 items or more in a year.

Prescription Medicines

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the UK Government will encourage the European Commission to support changes in regulations to enable pharmaceutical companies to provide information directly to patients about prescription medicines; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Clear and relevant information is vital if patients are to use medicines safely and effectively. The provision of information about medicines is a key to increasing appropriate access to, uptake of and safe use of medicines. It is also vital to support people in making informed choices about prescribed medicines with their health professional, which in turn improves patient compliance and health outcomes.
	Under current United Kingdom (UK) and European law, pharmaceutical companies may already provide non-promotional information directly to patients and the public about prescription medicines. We do not consider that any changes to regulations are needed to facilitate this in the UK but are working with European colleagues to ensure there is a common understanding and application of European Union law.

Strattera

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated into side effects of the drug Strattera; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Clinical trials data submitted by the marketing authorisation holder (MAH) for Strattera (atomoxetine) was evaluated at the time of licensing to ensure that it met appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy to support its use in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
	Since the marketing of Strattera, the Independent Scientific Advisory Committee, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have kept its safety under close review. As new data have emerged, product information for prescribers and patients has been updated and advice has been issued.
	In February 2006, the MHRA led a European review of the risks and benefits of Strattera and sought advice from the CHM and an expert working group whose membership included those with expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry and lay representation. Doctors and patients were informed of the following conclusions of this review:
	overall the balance of risks and benefits of Strattera in the treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents remains positive;
	prescribers should be reminded that Strattera should be initiated only by and under the supervision of a specialist;
	warnings on the risk of seizures and electrocardiogram QT prolongation (abnormal heart rhythm) should be included in the product information; and
	the current warnings in the product information about the risk of liver disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviour accurately reflect the available data.
	Full guidance on prescribing and the use of Strattera, including possible side effects, is provided in the product information for prescribers (the Summary of Product Characteristics) and patients (Patient Information Leaflet).
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recently published a technology appraisal on methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for the treatment of ADHD. During the development of this appraisal NICE was fully informed about the European review and the available data on the safety and efficacy of atomoxetine in the treatment of ADHD.
	The MAH was also requested to put in place a risk management plan for Strattera, which includes the conduct of new research to better characterise and further investigate its safety profile.
	A copy of the report on the risks and benefits of Strattera has been placed in the Library.

Waiting Lists/Times

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from what point in an individual's treatment her Department calculates the waiting time for an NHS in-patient operation.

Andy Burnham: The waiting time for a national health service in-patient operation is taken from the point at which a consultant decides that the patient needs to be admitted for treatment, to the date upon which the patient is actually admitted to hospital.

Waiting Lists/Times

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date she expects the Government to meet their target for nobody to wait more than six months for an in-patient operation in the NHS.

Andy Burnham: The national health service does now have an operating standard of six months for in-patient admission. Data collected by the Department show that there have been very few breaches of this standard since it was introduced in December 2005. Therefore, it is considered that the Government's in-patient target has been and continues to be achieved.
	However, any breaches of the waiting time standards are unacceptable and the Department will continue to work closely to support the small number of NHS organisations where patients are waiting over six months.

Waiting Lists/Times

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of people who are waiting for an NHS in-patient operation and who have been informed they will have to wait more than six months.

Andy Burnham: The national health service now has a maximum waiting time of six months for in-patient admission. Any breaches of this waiting time standard are unacceptable and the Department will continue to work closely to support each NHS organisation where this is an issue. No estimate has been made of whether the very small number of patients who may at risk of having to wait longer than the standard have been informed.

Waiting Lists/Times

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waited more than six months for a hospital appointment in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006 in(i) Swindon and (ii) England.

Andy Burnham: In March 1997, 283,866 patients were waiting more than six months for hospital admission in England and 4,671 patients were waiting more than six months for hospital admission in the area covered by Wiltshire Health Authority.
	In March 2006, 199 patients were waiting more than six months for hospital admission nationally and no patients were waiting more than six months for hospital admission in the area covered by Swindon Primary Care Trust.

Waiting Lists/Times

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of time was for which patients in  (a) England and  (b) Dorset waited for dialysis during 2005.

Rosie Winterton: There was no average length of time in England for which patients requiring dialysis waited for treatment in 2005. The national service framework for renal services notes that because the progression of chronic kidney disease is frequently slow clinicians can often predict the point when the person will need to start renal replacement therapy (RRT), which consists of haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or transplantation.
	Professional consensus is that the optimal time required to prepare a patient and their carers for RRT is around one year. This is why good practice suggests that those with established renal failure requiring dialysis have timely and appropriate surgery for vascular or peritoneal dialysis access to improve outcomes, minimise complications and maximise longevity of the access site. However, research shows that a third of people present less than a month before requiring RRT, and the outcomes for this group are less good than for those who present earlier.
	If someone presents as an emergency or it is not possible to establish mature access before dialysis is required an intravenous catheter can be inserted for dialysis at extremely short notice, usually into a vein deep in the patients neck.

Waiting Lists/Times

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in England requiring a form of dialysis were not able to obtain that form of dialysis during 2005.

Rosie Winterton: The national service framework for renal services notes that the total number of people receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) has been taken as a proxy measure for the prevalence of established renal failure (ERF). However it is generally agreed that in addition there will be people in the general population with ERF which has not been diagnosed and whose need for RRT has not been recognised. People who have been identified as requiring dialysis receive it, on an emergency basis if necessary. Research shows that a third of people present less than a month before requiring RRT.
	RRT includes transplantation, haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Data on the numbers of people requiring dialysis are not collected or held centrally. Data from the most recent national survey of renal units, commissioned by the Department from the renal registry of the Renal Association, show that in December 2002, 11,789 patients in England were receiving haemodialysis; 4,605 peritoneal dialysis, and 14,104 people had a transplant in the year ending December 2002.
	For some patients with established renal failure, who are suffering from other, terminal, conditions, haemodialysis may not be an appropriate treatment, as it can add to the distress of these patients without extending life. These patients should be presented with the option of a properly managed palliative care plan.

Waiting Lists/Times

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effects on kidney patients of being unable to obtain dialysis within a short time after this treatment is recommended by a consultant.

Rosie Winterton: The national service framework for renal services notes that because the progression of chronic kidney disease is frequently slow clinicians can often predict the point when the person will need to start renal replacement therapy (RRT). Professional consensus is that the optimal time required to prepare a patient and their carers for RRT is around one year. This is why good practice suggests that those with established renal failure requiring dialysis have timely and appropriate surgery for vascular or peritoneal dialysis access to improve outcomes, minimise complications and maximise longevity of the access.
	Research shows that a third of people present less than a month before requiring RRT, and the outcomes for this group are less good than for those who present earlier. If someone presents as an emergency an intravenous catheter can be inserted for dialysis, usually into a vein deep in the patient's neck.

Waiting Lists/Times

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area missed their appointments in the last year for which figures are available; and what the estimated cost was to the Trust of these missed appointments.

Rosie Winterton: The number of missed first outpatient appointments reported by Mid Essex Hospitals National Health Service Trust in 2004-05 was 5,590 and for the first three quarters of 2005-06, the trust reported 4,646.
	Information is not held centrally as to the cost of missed appointments.
	 Source:
	Primary care and activity analysis

Waiting Lists/Times

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area had their appointments cancelled by the Trust  (a) once,  (b) twice,  (c) three times and  (d) more than three times in the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Waiting Lists/Times

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to publish the principles and definitions which will underpin the delivery of the 18-week patient pathway.

Andy Burnham: The principles and definitions underpinning the delivery of the 18-week patient pathway were published on 10 May 2006 in the publication, Tackling Hospital Waiting: The 18-week Patient Pathway. An implementation framework is available in the Library and on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/46/69/04134669.pdf

TREASURY

Consultants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the companies which were paid consultancy fees by his Department in 2005-06; how much each was paid; and what each of the companies was used to accomplish.

John Healey: A table setting out the amounts paid in 2005-06 by the Treasury to companies and partnerships, recorded as consultancy spending, has been placed in the Library of the House. Information on what each supplier was used to accomplish could be provided only at disproportionate cost, and in some cases would be commercially prejudicial.

Departmental Budget

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the budget for his Department remained unspent in the 2005-06 financial year.

John Healey: The Public Expenditure Out-turn White Paper (PEOWP), due to be presented to Parliament before the summer recess in July, will provide provisional out-turn figures for 2005-06 public expenditure for all Departments, including underspends against departmental expenditure limits and administration costs limits. The Treasury's own resource accounts are also due to be presented to Parliament before the summer recess, and will show the audited out-turn against voted expenditure.

Departmental Consultations

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many public consultations his Department undertook in the last 12 months; and what the cost was  (a) in total and  (b) of each consultation.

John Healey: A list of the public consultations undertaken by the Treasury since 2000 is available on the Department's website http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consultations_ and_legislation/consult_fullindex.cfm. Seventeen consultations have been launched since 1 April 2005. The Treasury's accounting system does not record the cost of public consultations separately from other administration costs, so the cost of those consultations, either individually or in aggregate, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many free air miles have been accrued by senior civil servants in his Department on official business in each of the last three years; and how they were used.

John Healey: I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 17 October 2005,  Official Report, column 717W.

Electorate (Wales)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many electors there were in each ward of  (a) the Vale of Clwyd and  (b) Denbighshire in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, 15 May 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question regarding the number of electors in each ward in (a) the Vale of Clwyd and (b) Denbighshire in each of the last 10 years. (70191)
	The latest available Welsh ward electorate counts are for December 2005, and the electorate counts for the last available10 years (1996 to 2005) are shown in the attached tables. Table 1 includes wards within the parliamentary constituency of the Vale of Clwyd. Table 2 for the local authority of Denbighshire, includes wards for the whole of the parliamentary constituency of the Vale of Clwyd (as included in Table 1) and also wards which are within part of the parliamentary constituencies of Clwyd South and Clwyd West.
	The ward electorate counts are for parliamentary electors, including attainers. Local government electorate counts are not available at ward level. Thus the figures in Table 1 and Table 2 do not sum to the combined count of Parliamentary or local electors referred to as 'total electorate', for Vale of Clwyd and Denbighshire in reply to your previous parliamentary question Official Report No. 149, column 450 of 11 May 2006.
	It should be noted that the number of people eligible to vote is not the same as the resident population aged 18 and over. There are numerous reasons for this. For example not everyone who is usually resident is entitled to vote (foreign citizens from outside of the EU and Commonwealth, prisoners, etc. are not eligible), some people do not register to vote and people who have more than one address may register in more than one place. Further, there is inevitably some double counting of the registered electorate as electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or after they have died. These factors have a differential impact from area to area.
	
		
			  Table 1: Parliamentary electors for Vale of Clwyd 1996-2005 
			  Ward name  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Bodelwyddan 1,262 1,312 1,378 1,402 1,335 1,417 1,387 1,391 1,415 1,523 
			 Denbigh Central 1,391 1,365 1,384 1,329 1,275 1,262 1,164 1,301 1,310 1,310 
			 Denbigh Lower 3,092 3,118 3,162 3,187 3,162 3,201 3,211 3,231 3,325 3,373 
			 Denbigh Upper/Henllan 2,503 2,524 2,536 2,467 2,431 2,385 2,275 2,368 2,376 2,416 
			 Dyserth 1,903 1,881 1,898 1,846 1,809 1,902 1,741 1,766 1,815 1,867 
			 Llandyrnog(1) 956 967 969 976 1,490 1,539 1,560 1,572 1606 1,619 
			 Prestatyn Central 2,661 2,692 2,715 2,681 2,635 2,659 2,550 2,598 2664 2,666 
			 Prestatyn East 2,979 3,028 3,045 3,010 2,937 3,013 2,883 2,881 3006 3,073 
			 Prestatyn Meliden(2) 1,546 1,564 1,567 1,553 1,451 1,507 1,444 1,481 1518 1,538 
			 Prestatyn North 4,037 4,104 4,106 4,114 3,980 4,004 3,896 4,141 4408 4,495 
			 Prestatyn South West 2,643 2,626 2,608 2,551 2,493 2,481 2,502 2,556 2638 2,625 
			 Rhuddlan 3,053 3,116 3,179 3,210 3,127 3,202 2,679 2,724 2760 2,808 
			 Rhyl East 3,711 3,668 3,768 3,677 3,502 3,595 3,486 3,552 3620 3,735 
			 Rhyl South 3,029 3,014 2,997 3,002 3,030 2,995 2,895 2,943 3005 3,013 
			 Rhyl South East 4,979 4,987 5,039 4,989 4,880 5,192 5,208 5,511 5672 5,707 
			 Rhyl South West 3,812 3,734 3,726 3,699 3,662 3,607 3,205 3,433 3534 3,567 
			 Rhyl West 3,481 3,549 3,602 3,428 3,000 2,761 2,464 2,457 2777 2,960 
			 St. Asaph East 1,384 1,314 1,303 1,307 1,295 1,329 1,313 1,319 1,320 1,323 
			 St. Asaph West 1,307 1,290 1,270 1,248 1,116 1,178 1,155 1,179 1,282 1,288 
			 Trefnant 1,469 1,482 1,488 1,489 1,375 1,444 1,420 1,440 1,486 1,502 
			 Tremeirchion 1,173 1,185 1,166 1,183 1,126 1,176 1,199 1,214 1,237 1,236 
			 Total 52,371 52,520 52,906 52,348 51,111 51,849 49,637 51,058 52,774 53,644 
			 (1) Llandyrnog ward also falls within Clwyd West parliamentary constituency, data for the whole ward are shown. Part of Llanynys ward in Denbighshire merged with Llandyrnog in 2000.  (2) Prior to 2000 this ward name was Meliden.   Notes:  1. Data for years up to and including 2000 relate to 16 February, data for 2001 and subsequent years relate to 1 December.  2. Parliamentary electors are those people who are entitled to vote in parliamentary elections at Westminster and who meet the residence qualification. These include overseas voters but exclude Peers and European citizens.   Source:  Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Parliamentary electors for Denbighshire 1996-2005 
			  Ward name  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Bodelwyddan 1,262 1,312 1,378 1,402 1,335 1,417 1,387 1,391 1,415 1,523 
			 Corwen 1,860 1,805 1,807 1,795 1,696 1,774 1,699 1,702 1,762 1,807 
			 Denbigh Central 1,391 1,365 1,384 1,329 1,275 1,262 1,164 1,301 1,310 1,310 
			 Denbigh Lower 3,092 3,118 3,162 3,187 3,162 3,201 3,211 3,231 3,325 3,373 
			 Denbigh Upper/Henllan 2,503 2,524 2,536 2,467 2,431 2,385 2,275 2,368 2,376 2,416 
			 Dyserth 1,903 1,881 1,898 1,846 1,809 1,902 1,741 1,766 1,815 1,867 
			 Efenechtyd(1) 977 973 965 988 1,222 1,231 1,231 1,209 1227 1,236 
			 Llanarmon-yn-lal/Llandegla 1,935 1,989 2,021 2,034 1,771 1,777 1,768 1,794 1847 1,857 
			 Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd/Llangynhafal(2) 1,116 1,123 1,095 1,085 1,128 1,168 1,123 1,119 1,144 1,156 
			 Llandrillo 881 849 882 894 864 877 864 875 907 922 
			 Llandyrnog 956 967 969 976 1,490 1,539 1,560 1,572 1606 1,619 
			 Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd/Gwyddelwern(3) 1,837 1,816 1,851 1,870 1,709 1,749 1,748 1,731 1772 1,798 
			 Llangollen Rural(4) 1,850 1,861 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 
			 Llangollen 2,686 2,657 3,056 3,059 2,896 2,949 2,956 2,993 3,047 3,114 
			 Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch 1,133 1,110 1,138 1,116 1,431 1,462 1,410 1,443 1,472 1,478 
			 Llanynys(5) 894 892 901 902 ? ? ? ? ? ? 
			 Prestatyn Central 2,661 2,692 2,715 2,681 2,635 2,659 2,550 2,598 2,664 2,666 
			 Prestatyn East 2,979 3,028 3,045 3,010 2,937 3,013 2,883 2,881 3,006 3,073 
			 Prestatyn Meliden(6) 1,546 1,564 1,567 1,553 1,451 1,507 1,444 1,481 1,518 1,538 
			 Prestatyn North 4,037 4,104 4,106 4,114 3,980 4,004 3,896 4,141 4,408 4,495 
			 Prestatyn South West 2,643 2,626 2,608 2,551 2,493 2,481 2,502 2,556 2,638 2,625 
			 Rhuddlan 3,053 3,116 3,179 3,210 3,127 3,202 2,679 2,724 2,760 2,808 
			 Rhyl East 3,711 3,668 3,768 3,677 3,502 3,595 3,486 3,552 3,620 3,735 
			 Rhyl South 3,029 3,014 2,997 3,002 3,030 2,995 2,895 2,943 3,005 3,013 
			 Rhyl South East 4,979 4,987 5,039 4,989 4,880 5,192 5,208 5,511 5,672 5,707 
			 Rhyl South West 3,812 3,734 3,726 3,699 3,662 3,607 3,205 3,433 3,534 3,567 
			 Rhyl West 3,481 3,549 3,602 3,428 3,000 2,761 2,464 2,457 2,777 2,960 
			 Ruthin 4,150 4,115 4,111 4,069 3,974 3,957 3,935 4,001 4,062 4,082 
			 St. Asaph East 1,384 1,314 1,303 1,307 1,295 1,329 1,313 1,319 1,320 1,323 
			 St. Asaph West 1,307 1,290 1,270 1,248 1,116 1,178 1,155 1,179 1,282 1,288 
			 Trefnant 1,469 1,482 1,488 1,489 1,375 1,444 1,420 1,440 1,486 1,502 
			 Tremeirchion 1,173 1,185 1,166 1,183 1,126 1,176 1,199 1,214 1,237 1,236 
			 Total 71,690 71,710 70,733 70,160 67,802 68,793 66,371 67,925 70,014 71,094 
			 (1) Part of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd/Gwyddelwern merged with Efenechtyd in 2000.  (2) Prior to 2002 this ward name was Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd.  (3) Part of Llanarmon-yn-lal/Llandegla merged with Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd/Gwyddelwern in 2000.  (4) Llangollen Rural merged with Llangollen in 1998.  (5) Part of Llanynys merged with Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch and rest of Llanynys merged with Llandyrnog in 2000.  (6) Prior to 2000 this ward name was Meliden.   Notes:  1. Data for years up to and including 2000 relate to 16 February, data for 2001 and subsequent years relate to 1 December.  2. Parliamentary electors are those people who are entitled to vote in parliamentary elections at Westminster and who meet the residence qualification. These include overseas voters but exclude Peers and European citizens.   Source:  Office for National Statistics

EU Budget

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his Department's policy to veto any proposed EU tax arising from the 2008-09 review of the EU budget.

Edward Balls: The Government believe that taxation is a matter for member states to determine at a national level. The UK has made clear that there are absolutely no plans to impose a harmonised tax on its citizens.

Portland PR

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.

John Healey: According to our records, there have been no meetings between Treasury officials and representatives of Portland PR in the past year. Neither the Treasury nor its agencies have any contracts with Portland PR.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made since 1997 to the Valuation Office Agency's  (a) powers and  (b) policy on revaluing, re-assessing or re-classifying a domestic hereditament or composite hereditament after a material change to a property.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The powers of a listing officer or valuation officer, employed by the Valuation Office Agency, to revalue, re-assess or re-classify a domestic hereditament following a material change to a property have not changed since 1997.
	The alteration of non-domestic rating lists by valuation officers is subject to regulatory control. The powers of valuation officers to alter rating lists, including the non-domestic parts of composite hereditaments, were amended with effect from 1 April 2000 by the Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals)(Amendment)(England) Regulations 2000 and the Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals)(Amendment)(Wales) Regulations 2000, which restricted the effective date of list alterations in respect of material changes of circumstance. Further amendment of valuation officers' powers has been made by the Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals)(England) Regulations 2005 and the Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals)(Wales) Regulations 2005 and the Non-Domestic Rating (Material Day for List Alterations)(Amendment)(England) Regulations 2005 in respect of rating lists compiled on or after1 April 2005 which allow valuation officers to alter rating lists, including in entries for composite hereditaments, in respect of material changes of circumstances with effect from the day the circumstances changed.
	The interpretation of the power of a listing officer to increase the council tax band applicable to a dwelling following a material increase and a relevant transaction of the dwelling was changed in July 2002 in the lightof two Scottish Court of Session decisions that the sale of a part share in a dwelling is not a relevant transaction. .

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) VO 7746 and  (b) VO 7747 letters were issued by the Valuation Office Agency in (i) England and (ii) Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	No record is kept of the number of these letters issued.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many domestic properties in England have photographs allocated to the address by the Valuation Office Agency as part of their council tax valuation records.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Of the 22 million domestic property records in England, some 2.5 per cent. (549,000) have a photograph or photographs attached.

Voter Registration

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the level of voter registration for local elections in England in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 May 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question about what estimates the Office for National Statistics has made of the level of voter registration for local elections in England in each year since 1997. (70689)
	I refer you to the Official Report No. 149 column 450 of 11 May 2006. The answer provided here gives the 'proportion of the estimated usual resident population who have registered to vote'; this is the closest possible approximation to the information you have requested.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Domestic Violence

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on improving the services offered to women seeking refuge from domestic violence in Kingston upon Hull North.

Meg Munn: As Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, I sit on the inter-ministerial group for domestic violence (chaired by my hon. Friend Baroness Scotland of Ashtal) which performance-manages the cross-Government National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan by reviewing progress at quarterly meetings. This is the mechanism for improving the services offered to women seeking refuge from domestic violence nationally.
	The Government office for Yorkshire and the Humber ensures that the National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan is disseminated and considered by all regional and local stakeholders.
	Hull Domestic Abuse Partnership is a new multi-agency team including representatives from the police, health, housing and social services. It provides a one-stop service for women in the city seeking refuge from domestic violence and is working to improve services to victims.

Domestic Violence

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of services available to children who have been involved in domestic violence in Kingston upon Hull North.

Meg Munn: As Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, I sit on the inter-ministerial group for domestic violence (chaired by my hon. Friend Baroness Scotland of Ashtal), which performance-manages the cross-Government National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan by reviewing progress at quarterly meetings. This is the mechanism for improving the services available to children who have been involved in domestic violence.
	The Government office for Yorkshire and the Humber ensures that the National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan is disseminated and considered by all regional and local stakeholders.
	Currently, services available to children who have been involved in domestic violence (DV) in Kingston upon Hull include:
	Generic provision, support and access to information is available through the Children's Services Family Resource Centres and the council's internet service.
	Hull pilot for the early identification of risk indicators of DV in private and public law proceedings is an initiative in a response to Section 120 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Its purpose is to alert the court, in cases of DV, at the earliest opportunity in order that an early assessment of risk indicators can be made and developed. The Hull Domestic Abuse Project (DAP) will carry out these assessments. It is the intention to roll the pilot out across the courts in the Humber region.
	Hull children's fund provides resources for direct work with young children who are resident in the Women's Aid refuge and also on an outreach basis.
	NSPCC specialist staff are working with young males who have experienced or witnessed DV.
	The NSPCC, NCH, Barnados and Women's Centres across Hull are also providing support services to affected children.
	Women's Aid and the women's services also carry out work within the local primary and secondary schools raising awareness and discussing safety issues around DV.
	Women's Aid provides refuge facilities for families.
	The Hull DAP also carries out Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC's) on a six-weekly basis. This serves the purpose of identifying high-risk victims and enables the sharing of information within a multi-agency setting to take place in order to give further support.

Pay Reviews

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality for what reasons the Government have adopted a voluntary approach to pay reviews.

Meg Munn: We believe that the voluntary approach is the best way to achieve lasting change through working alongside the business community, employers, trade unions and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) to promote equal pay reviews. We supported Opportunity Now's recent Benchmarking Report which contains case studies, advice, action plans and recommendations on how employers can address gender equality and diversity in the workplace, including tackling the gender pay gap. We also support an equal pay panel of experts, led by the TUC.
	The Women and Work Commission's independent report 'Shaping a Fairer Future', recently examined the merits of mandatory equal pay reviews in addressing the gender pay gap but did not recommend a regulatory approach.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

EU Market Abuse Directive

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the effect on the costs to British industry of the replacement of the existing anti-market abuse legislation with the EU market abuse directive.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The market abuse directive (MAD) provides for a common approach to market abuse issues in an increasingly integrated financial services market in Europe. The Treasury published a regulatory impact assessment together with the regulations implementing the MAD. Copies of the assessment were placed in the Library of the House and it is available on the EU financial services section of HM Treasury's website.

CABINET OFFICE

Voluntary and Community Organisations

Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps she is taking to support the work of voluntary and community organisations.

Edward Miliband: I have been appointed as Minister for the Third Sector by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to focus on developing stronger policy, support and investment in the Third Sector.
	There are increased numbers of volunteers and there are also increased levels of Government investment in the promotion of both volunteering and charitable giving. On 8 May my right hon. Friend the Chancellor and I launched V, a charity to encourage young people into volunteering.
	Today the Government launched a Cross-Cutting Policy Review which will look at how we can ensure the role of Third Sector organisations in contributing to the social and economic regeneration of the country.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House on how many occasions  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers in his office stayed overnight in (i) five star, (ii) four star and (iii) three star hotels in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: The Office of the Leader of the House does not regularly hold information on the star rating of each individual hotel.
	Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year; this information includes accommodation costs. This information can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House what discounts are available in relation to hotel accommodation used by  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers in his office.

Jack Straw: No special discounts are available to civil servants and special advisers within the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons, other than the 'HM Government Hotel Programme' from Intercontinental Hotels Group, open to all Government Departments.
	Accommodation used by my staff is booked on need and a best value for money basis.

Personal Computers

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Leader of the House how many personal computers are allocated to hon. Members.

Jack Straw: Members are entitled to a combination of up to five loaned PCs and laptops. If aggregated therefore, Members could request up to 3,230 PCs and laptops. Not all Members request their full allowance. To date, Members have requested and received 2,206 PCs and 642 laptops. For those Members who require more equipment, they can purchase additional equipment of the same make via Parliament with Parliament's own software pre-configured and installed.

Private Office Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how much has been paid in  (a) salary,  (b) travelling expenses,  (c) subsistence allowance and  (d) removal expenses to special advisers in his private office in each of the last five years.

Nigel Griffiths: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band. Information on special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information is available in the Library of the House.
	No removal expenses have been paid to special advisers in the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons during the last five years.
	Details on travel and subsistence costs for special advisers is set out in the table.
	
		
			   
			   Travel  Subsistence 
			 2005-06 7,714 30 
			 2004-05 8,534 0 
			 2003-04 721 0 
			 2002-03 121 0 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Child Protection Checks

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what child protection checks a teacher is expected to undergo; and what procedure is used for such checks in the case of an individual who is working  (a) in a number of different schools,  (b) in different local authorities,  (c) in the private as well as public sector and  (d) in another occupation or vocation with children or vulnerable adults.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department's guidance, Child Protection: Preventing Unsuitable People from Working with Children and Young Persons, provides comprehensive advice on the pre-appointment checks employers should undertake on teachers and other prospective employees. This includes previous employment checks, criminal record bureau (CRB) checks, a List 99 check and, for people who are to be employed as teachers, checks to confirm their teaching status.
	For individuals working in a number of schools where the local authority is the same, and it is the local authority who is the employer, as long as checks were carried out at the time of the first appointment and there is no gap in employment, further checks should not be necessary. Where employers are different or a gap has occurred each employer must satisfy themselves of an individual's suitability by conducting new checks.
	Under the new vetting and barring scheme, legislation for which is currently before Parliament in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill, a person or organisation who employs a teacher will be required to check that the teacher is subject to monitoring in relation to their work with children by the scheme, and is not barred from working with children. The duty on the employer to check applies regardless of whether the teacher is working in an independent or maintained school and regardless of whether another employer has already made a check. An employer can fulfil their duty to check by obtaining written confirmation from a supply agency that the agency has made the check.
	For a non-teaching position, working with children or vulnerable adults in a registered setting, a CRB check is also required. As part of this the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) lists will be checked and it will record if an individual is barred from this type of work.

Children's Database

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the timetable is for the completion of the national children's database.

Beverley Hughes: The information sharing index will aid more effective prevention and early intervention as a tool to support practitioners to improve outcomes for children, and is therefore a key element of the Every Child Matters programme. The planned timetable for the implementation of the index ensures that it will be delivered in a practical and realistic way. The key elements are:
	From the summer of 2006, local authorities will begin a readiness assessment process, involving all relevant local partners. This assessment process will ensure that local areas will be ready to receive the index when it is made available to them. At that time, we will also have the results of the data matching trials which will inform our data sourcing and deployment plans and provide better information about the quality of key data sources and the nature of the task, both locally and nationally, to best ensure that the index data will be of good quality.
	During the summer and autumn of 2006, there will be a public consultation on draft regulations and statutory guidance to be made under section 12 of the Children Act 2004, which will govern the operation of the index.
	Subject to the will of Parliament, we expect regulations to be in force by early 2007.
	From late spring or early summer of 2007, we will have created initial records for each child in England, drawn from key national data sources.
	The first index release, which will include those initial records, will be deployed to a first wave of local authorities by the summer of 2007.
	The index will be rolled out progressively so that, by the end of 2008, it will be available in all local authorities in England.
	We will provide funding and support to local authorities for them to manage local implementation of the index.

Children's Database

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding his Department has allocated to the establishment of a national data list for all children in the UK; and how much has been spent to date.

Beverley Hughes: On 8 December 2005, I announced the Government's plan to implement a fully operational information sharing index in all areas of England by the end of 2008. This will enable practitioners delivering services to children to identify and contact one another easily and quickly, so they can share relevant information about children who need services.
	The estimated set-up costs are 224 million over the next three years. This includes the costs of adapting existing systems that will supply the data to the index and ensuring that data are accurate; adapting the day-to-day systems used by practitioners so they can access the index from those systems; introducing robust arrangements to ensure security, and training staff to use the index properly.
	Estimated operating costs, thereafter, will be41 million per year. Most of this will pay for the additional staff needed to ensure the ongoing security, accuracy and audit of the index.
	To date, approximately 8.5 million has been spent since the start of the feasibility phase of the index project in February 2004.

Departmental Campaigns

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of each information campaign run by his Department since 1997.

Bill Rammell: Expenditure details from the Department's central advertising and public budget, are not held by specific information campaign; however the total advertising and promotional work is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Expenditure ( million) 
			 1997-98 11.0 
			 1998-99 13.4 
			 1999-2000 9.9 
			 2000-01 14.6 
			 2001-02 11.7 
			 2002-03 14.1 
			 2003-04 15.5 
			 2004-05 12.5 
			 2005-06(1) 9.4 
			 (1) Final accounts for this financial year have still to be closed and this is our total expenditure so far. 
		
	
	Financial information for any other advertising and promotional work from outside of the central marketing team could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publications

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the departmental publications sent to teachers since May 1997; and what the cost was in each case.

Jim Knight: A list of departmental publications sent automatically to schools between 2002 and 2005 is detailed in the following table. Where a publication has been sent to all primary and all secondary schools it will appear in the table for both primary and secondary schools. The Department does not keep distribution lists of publications sent to all schools prior to 2002.
	The cost of distribution for publications automatically sent to all schools was c. 300,000 per annum. However, the Department ceased automatic mailings of publications to schools in England on a phased basis between April and December 2004. Discussions with head teachers, and detailed research, showed that schools wanted to be able to choose the printed publications they needed, when they needed them, and to be able to order multiple copies.
	The online ordering system enables schools to choose whether to download electronic copies or order the paper-based publications they need at the right time for them and in the multiples they require. This system is linked directly to the fulfilment service and an existing telephone ordering line. A fortnightly email service to schools informs them of new and important publications.
	This has resulted in schools being able to order a wider variety of publications from the Department, putting schools in direct control of what they receive, and when they receive it.
	
		
			  Annex A: Publications sent by the Secretary of State to all schools in England in 2002-03 
			  Timing/title  Primary and/or secondary 
			  September  
			 Criminal Records Bureau checks Letter from Secretary of State Both 
			 School teachers' pay and conditions Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 School performance tables KS2 Primary 
			 September Infant class count Primary 
			 KS3 Framework: ICT capability Secondary 
			 School and college performance tables Secondary 
			 Revised guidance on disapplication of the curriculum at KS4 Secondary 
			 Target-setting at KS3 Secondary 
			 September pupil count Secondary 
			   
			  October  
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Further Literacy support file Primary 
			 Building on improvements Primary 
			 Secretary of State's letter KS2 results Primary 
			 Secretary of State's letter KS3 results Secondary 
			   
			  November  
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Release of School Finance Pack Both 
			 KS3 Year 9 BoosterMaths Secondary 
			 KS3 Year 9 BoosterScience Secondary 
			 KS3 Year 9 BoosterEnglish Secondary 
			   
			  December  
			 Annual school census 2002 Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 New funding system for LEAs Both 
			 2002 Performance tables: How to obtain PIN details Both 
			 Criminal Records Bureau: Managing the demand for disclosures Both 
			 Extended schools: Providing opportunities for all Both 
			 Child care in extended schools Both 
			 Early Years headcount Primary 
			   
			  January  
			 Languages for all: Languages for life Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy refresher pack Primary 
			 Sure Start Primary 
			 KS2 Letter from Stephen Twigg Primary 
			   
			  February  
			 Time for Standards Both 
			 Letter regarding e-communications Both 
			 Building Schools for the Future Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 14-19 outcome pack Secondary 
			 A new specialist system Secondary 
			 Transforming secondary education Secondary 
			 KS3 targets Secondary 
			   
			  March  
			 Survey of absences in schools Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Early Years headcount Primary 
			 Write Here Write Now Primary 
			 National non-statutory specification: Careers education and guidance Secondary 
			   
			  April  
			 Notification of move to e-payment system Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 12th Youth Cohort study Secondary 
			   
			  May  
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Excellence and Enjoyment Primary 
			   
			  June/July  
			 Threshold payments poster Both 
			 Safeguarding children from abuse Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			   
			  Additional mailings to schools of a particular kind (section 38 (2)(a)(2))  
			  October  
			 Secretary of State letter to special schools Both (Special) 
			   
			  January  
			 Code of practice: School admissions Both (VA/Foundation) 
			 Code of practice: Appeals Both (VA/Foundation) 
			 School admissions: Your new rights Both (VA/Community) 
			   
			  February  
			 Management guide for third year: KS3 Strategy Both (Special) Secondary (Middle schools) 
		
	
	
		
			  Publications sent by the Secretary of State to all schools in England in 2003-04 (section 38 (2)(a)(1)) 
			  Timing/title  Primary and/or secondary 
			  September  
			 Implementation Review Unit poster Both 
			 Implementation Review Unit leaflet Both 
			 Data collection by typeSEN Both 
			 School teachers' pay and conditions Both 
			 Travelling to school flyer on sustainable school transport Both 
			 Guidance under S133 Education Act 2002 Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Education Maintenance Allowance leaflet Secondary 
			 Principles underpinning organisation of 16-19 provision Secondary 
			   
			  October  
			 Pupil Achievement Tracker Both 
			 Performance management support pack Both 
			 Research topic paper on impact of parental involvement in children's education Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			   
			  November  
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Speaking, Listening and Learning pack Primary 
			 Direct communication with young people Secondary 
			 KS3 Strategy: Targeting Level 5 and above: Teaching responses to reading Secondary 
			 KS3 Strategy: Year 9 booster kitEnglish Secondary 
			 KS3 Strategy: GCSE booster pack Secondary 
			 Future of Higher Education: Changes to student finance Secondary 
			   
			  December  
			 Spectrum Both 
			   
			  January  
			 Bullying: A charter for action Both 
			 We're a community here Primary 
			 Spectrum Both 
			   
			  February  
			 Removing barriers to achievement Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Statutory changes to KS4 Secondary 
			   
			  March  
			 Drugs: Guidance for schools Both 
			 Drugs: Guidance for schools (summary) Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 A day with Dad Both 
			 Write Here, Write Now Primary 
			 KS3 parents' evening pack Secondary 
			 EMA application forms Secondary 
			 14-19 Reform: Interim progress report Secondary 
			   
			  April  
			 Pupil participation guidanceWorking Together: Giving young people a say Both 
			 Spectrum Both 
			 National Primary Strategy: Progression in phonics Primary 
			 Performance pay progression Both 
			   
			  May  
			 Spectrum Both 
			 Excellence and enjoyment: Learning and teaching in the primary years Primary 
			   
			  June/July  
			 Spectrum Both 
			   
			  Additional mailings to schools of a particular kind  
			  June  
			 Letter regarding changes in reporting arrangements Secondary (Specialist schools) 
		
	
	 Publications sent by the Secretary of State to all schools in England in 2004-05
	The Department did not send any publications to all schools in 2004-05.

Departmental Staff (Post-Retirement Age)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what opportunities exist for people to work beyond retirement age in his Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: In the Department, people outside the senior civil service who continue to meet the normal standards of fitness and efficiency can choose to retire at any time from age 60-65. We currently do not allow anyone to stay on beyond age 65. However, we are reviewing our age retirement arrangements in line with the provisions of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 that came into effect from 1 October. A small project board is considering more fully the implications and opportunities offered by the regulations, before a decision is taken on the extent to which our age retirement arrangements can become more flexible, without impacting adversely on our operational and business needs.

Education and Inspections Bill

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which organisation conducted the racial equality impact assessment of the Education and Inspections Bill; and if he will make the assessment available on his Department's website.

Jim Knight: The Race Equality Impact Assessment on the Schools White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All, and the subsequent Education and Inspections Bill was carried out by relevant officials within the Department for Education and Skills, which is in accordance with guidance from the Commission for Racial Equality.
	The assessment was published on the Department's website on 28 February, the day of Bill introduction, and can be found at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/educationandinspectionsbill/

EU Students (Loan Default)

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of EU-domiciled students who may receive loans for study at a UK higher education institution and then default on repayment of those loans.

Bill Rammell: We estimate that around 42,000(1,2) EU students studying at English HEIs will be eligible for loans for fees. Because these loans are new, there are no historic data to help model behaviour, butbased on the propensity of home students to take out maintenance loanswe have assumed that 80 per cent. of EU students will take out a fee loan.
	The rate of repayment of loans depends on graduates' income, and the cost to Government of making the loans is dominated by a subsidy of the rate of interest. The notion of arrears is different from a commercial loan where repayments are predetermined in value and made to a fixed timetable. Nevertheless, the cost, which for EU loans is estimated to be around 30 million (2,3), includes a factor which reflects late payment.
	The SLC has well-established mechanisms for recovering loans from students who move abroad and we are confident that these will enable us to effectively collect repayments from EU students from April 2007.
	We are continuing to ensure that all students are fully aware that the Student Loans Company (SLC) has the power to trace them and enforce their debt in other countries. The SLC will use this power as necessary to ensure that all students repay what they owe.
	(1) rounded to the nearest 1,000.
	(2) Figures are steady state in AY 2006/07 terms.
	(3) assuming a RAB charge of 33 per cent.

Euro (UK Entry)

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures have been taken by his Department as part of preparations to UK entry to the euro; and what the cost was.

Bill Rammell: The Department has established a Project Board to oversee preparations within the Department for a possible future changeover to the euro. It also maintains regular links with the HM Treasury Euro Preparations Unit. In line with central guidance, the requirement to consider euro compatibility is built into all major programmes and projects, although any costs relating to meeting this requirement are not separately identified.

European Parliament Recommendation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on implementing European Parliament Recommendation 2006/143/EC, on further European Co-operation in Quality Assurance in Higher Education.

Bill Rammell: There is much good work concerning higher education quality assurance being undertaken under the auspices of the intergovernmental Bologna Process, which involves 45 countries with the objective of creating a European higher education area. I welcome the recommendation as a contribution towards closer European cooperation in this field, for which primary responsibility rests with higher education institutions themselves in this country. We are working with others as part of the Bologna Process to consider the practicalities of implementing a register of quality assurance agencies in Europe.

Exclusion (Black Children)

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether safeguards have been adopted to ensure that black children will not be disproportionately affected by the exclusion policies in her Department's White Paper.

Jim Knight: The White Paper commitments are being implemented largely through provisions in the Education and Inspections Bill, which were subject to a full Race Equality Impact Assessment. A copy of this is available in the Library. Guidance on exclusion also emphasises the importance of race equality awareness throughout the exclusion process.
	Although exclusion of Black children fell by half between 1997/98 and 2003/04, they are still excluded at around twice the rate for White children. We have an action plan in place to address these disproportionate levels of exclusion, which will also have an impact on Black children and parents affected by the White Paper proposals. This plan includes: ensuring that equality issues are embedded in key policy areas; sharing good practice with local authorities and recommending that they take specific actions, such as analysing exclusions data and taking remedial action if appropriate; and targeting individual local authorities where data show particularly high disproportionality, with support to reduce it.
	The reasons for the existing over-representation of some minority ethnic groups in the exclusions figures are complex. We are currently undertaking a Priority Review to establish the reasons for this disparity and what further can be done to reduce it.

Faith Schools

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many maintained faith schools have been closed in each year since 1997, broken down by faith.

Jim Knight: The information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Year closed  Church of England  Catholic  Church of England/ Catholic  Church of England/ Methodist  Methodist  Jewish  Congregational Church  Total 
			 1997 24 8 1  1   34 
			 1998 7 14  21 
			 1999 15 12  330 
			 2000 26 7  33 
			 2001 20 211  42 
			 2002 24 19   1   44 
			 2003 31 6 1  1  1 40 
			 2004 27 14  41 
			 2005 33 181  52 
			 2006 4 1  5 
			 Totals 211 120 2 3 3 2 1 342 
		
	
	These include cases where the closed school was directly replaced by another school, sometimes on the same site. This might occur where, for example, a school was replaced by an Academy or a school with different religious character or none; and where two or more schools amalgamated to form a single school (such as infant and junior schools amalgamating to form primary schools, or as part of a wider reorganisation).

Financial Education Initiatives

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what initiatives her Department and its non-departmental bodies support to promote  (a) financial education,  (b) financial advice,  (c) financial inclusion and  (d) financial capability; which organisations are involved in delivering each initiative; and how much funding is provided to each by (i) her Department and its non-departmental public bodies, (ii) other Government Departments, (iii) the private sector and (iv) the voluntary sector.

Bill Rammell: The Department is strengthening financial education as part of our 14-19 reforms. Financial capability education will be taught more explicitly in the new functional mathematics component of GCSE mathematics. Functional mathematics will also form part of the core of the new 14-19 specialised Diplomas. These initiatives support existing opportunities in Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), Citizenship, Business Studies and Careers Education for improving young people's understanding of financial issues. We have worked with QCA to offer schools new units of work to support financial capability education, available at www.qca.org.uk/pshe.
	The Department's Skills for Life Strategy has provided in excess of 3 million since 2001 to fund a financial literacy programme, which is run on behalf of the Government by the Basic Skills Agency (BSA). We have allocated 60 million a year for the three academic years from September 2005 to support a new focus on enterprise education in all secondary schools in England. We work with the Personal Finance Education Group (PREG) to develop and disseminate resources materials to support teachers in the classroom. The Department is also working closely with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to ensure that its work supports the educational aspects of the National Strategy for Financial Capability.

Foreign Language Teaching

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote co-operation in foreign language teaching between secondary and primary schools.

Jim Knight: Many secondary schools support language learning in primary schools by sharing teacher expertise, resource and use of facilities. In April 2006 the Department provided additional funding of 30,000 to every existing Specialist Language College and suggested a proportion of the funding be used to support the development and delivery of language learning programmes in primary schools. In addition 49.5 million will be distributed among all local authorities during the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08 to support the implementation of languages at Key Stage 2. The Department suggested part of this funding could be used to develop links between primary and secondary schools to support programmes. In October 2005 the Department launched the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages which contains guidance for schools on progression of language learning within Key Stage 2 and into Key Stage 3.

Foreign Language Teaching

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students at primary school are being taught foreign languages.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect data on the proportion of pupils studying a language in primary schools. However, a Headspace survey undertaken by Education Guardian and EdComs in 2005 indicated that 56 per cent. of primary schools are now planning or already implementing primary language learning programmes, compared with 46 per cent. in an earlier Headspace survey.

Information Provision

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 23 March 2006,  Official Report, column 543W, what estimate she has made of the cost of providing the information.

Bill Rammell: The Department does not hold this information centrally and to compile the information from over 100 business units would incur costs well in excess of the disproportionate cost threshold.

Key Worker Funding

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used to determine the eligibility of teachers for key worker funding for affordable homes.

Jim Knight: The Department for Communities and Local Government has overall responsibility for setting the criteria individuals must satisfy in order to qualify for funding for affordable homes. Within those criteria, Sponsor Government Departments select the eligible groups for individual sectors. For the education sector, the Department for Education and Skills recommends that teachers with Qualified Teacher Status working in the maintained sector can apply for assistance. Full details of qualifying criteria can be found in Annex B of the Capital Funding Guide on the Housing Corporation's website www.housingcorp.gov.uk.

Lecturers (Salaries)

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average salary was for a lecturer in further education in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest year for which information is available.

Bill Rammell: The average salary for full-time further education lecturers in England was 23,770 in March 1997 and 29,640 in March 2004, the latest information available. This represents a 24.7 per cent. increase compared to a cumulative inflation rate of 15 per cent. for the same period.

Muslim Colleges

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department issues guidance to Muslim colleges in England on content of courses for those who wish to become imams; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 25 April 2006
	For courses provided in publicly-funded Further Education Colleges and Higher Education Institutions, quality and standards are assured through independent inspection. With our support, the HE sector's Equality Challenge Unit has issued guidance to institutions on dealing with hate crimes and intolerance on campus. The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) for the FE system has also published the Faith Community Tool Kit. This provides an excellent source of information and advice to help leaders across the learning and skills sector to engage effectively with learners and staff from multi-faith communities. It draws out the valuable contribution people's beliefs can bring to their work, workplace or learning.

Nursery Places

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery and crche places are provided for people working in his Department; what charges are made for the provision of such services; and what other facilities are provided for the children of employees of his Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department is committed to quality child care support for staff and provides a range of options which consists of the following:
	Fifty nursery places on its Runcorn and Sheffield sites. In Runcorn; parents pay 16.90 per day and receive a departmental subsidy of 6.80 per day. In Sheffield, parents pay 16.50 and receive a departmental subsidy of 6.50 per day;
	Pre-school age child care vouchers which are payable for 48 weeks per year and are valued at 20 per week for Runcorn, Sheffield and Darlington staff and 30 per week for London staff. These amounts are pro-rated for part-time staff. Currently, 154 parents received these vouchers;
	School age vouchers, introduced from 1 May 2006, which replaced departmental play scheme subsidy previously paid to staff, on all sites. These vouchers are paid monthly, London staff receive 38 per month and staff on other sites receive 32 per month, pro-rated for part-time staff. These vouchers offer parents greater flexibility and choice. Responses to a recent child care survey indicate that the introduction of the new school age voucher will provide financial support for over 350 school age children. This compares favourably to the 130 children previously supported under the subsidised play scheme arrangements; and
	In addition, a Childcare Salary Sacrifice scheme was introduced on 1 May 2006. This will enable staff to make savings on tax and national insurance contributions related to child care costs. As the scheme is new, applications are currently being processed and take-up figures are currently unavailable.

Oxbridge Students

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of students attending  (a) Oxford and  (b) Cambridge universities in the last year for which figures are available previously attended a (i) state grammar school and (ii) maintained school.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) showing the previous school type of students obtaining places in 2005 is shown in the table. The figures are limited to students who applied to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS, so they do not therefore cover part-time students or those full-time students who apply directly to Oxbridge.
	
		
			  UK domiciled students accepted to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS, autumn 2005 
			   Cambridge university  Oxford university 
			  Previous school type:  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Grammar 358 12.9 279 10.1 
			 Other maintained schools 922 33.2 809 29.3 
			 Independent 1,141 41.1 1,290 46.7 
			 FE college/other 355 12.8 384 13.9 
			 Total known 2,776 100.0 2,762 100.0 
			 Unknown(1) 95  88  
			 Total 2,871  2,850  
			 (1) Not all students provide details of their previous school.   Source:  Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS).

Playing Fields Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate has been made of the likely total capital receipts from disposal of playing fields associated with private finance schemes in the secondary school sector in England at 2006 prices; what the total area of such playing fields is; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There have been seven applications approved that involve the sale of school playing fields which are capable of forming at least a small sports pitch, and which are associated with private finance schemes in the secondary school sector in England. The total area of these fields amount to 115,575 square metres and the expected capital receipt is around 24.5 million. Other proceeds from disposals, if approved, will depend on the value of the land at the time the application is made.

Prison Education

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the recommendations of the Seventh Report from the Education and Skills Committee for Session 2004-05 on Prison Education have  (a) been met,  (b) had no action taken in respect of them and  (c) been rejected; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: In June 2005, the Government responded comprehensively to the Education and Skills Select Committee report.
	The Government already had substantial plans to take action on many of the recommendations contained in the Select Committee's report, and many of these would fall into a category 'action taken in response'. Our most recent analysis shows that action is being taken in response to 27 of the recommendations; 18 have been met; and there were four where the Committee's recommendation did not call for any action. For six of the recommendations the necessary action is under way but long-term, making the term 'met' less easy to measure.
	The Government made clear in their response that they did not agree with six of the recommendations. We rejected the Committee's assertion (recommendation 6) that no over-arching strategy was in place, although we have since published the Green Paper Reducing Re-Offending Through Skills and Employment on which we are still consulting; although we agree that offenders with special needs should be supported, we do not necessarily agree that the introduction of special educational needs coordinators and learning support assistants to every adult prison is the right solution (recommendations 11 and 12); we see no case for guaranteeing prisoners an entitlement to learning and skills that is greater than the entitlements available for the general population (recommendation 14); progress made in recent years in improving learning and skills in prisons addresses the Committee's points in recommendation 20; and, although the Government did not believe at the time of their response that the proposal to equalise pay across all activities was practical, we are consulting on this matter through the Green Paper (recommendation 47).

Recruitment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not collected centrally in the format requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Any external recruitment campaign within the Department is based on business need and each case is considered separately. Where the services of search and selection agencies are required, agreed criteria and support delivery are drawn from the Cabinet Office Central Framework Agreement.

Redundancies

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) teachers and  (b) support staff in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools he estimates will be made redundant in (A) 2006-07 and (B) 2007-08 as a result of falling rolls; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 2 May 2006
	The number of teachers needed over time will vary from one area to another and schools and local authorities will need to decide how they manage numbers of teacher and support staff posts on the basis of anticipated local needs. In many cases there will be no need for redundancies because natural wastage and reduced numbers of newly-qualified teachers will play an important part in managing staff numbers.
	To help schools and local authorities who will need to manage the effects of falling rolls we have published a web-based toolkit which offers a range of practical advice and guidance. The toolkit can be found at www.teachernet.gov.uk/fallingrolls.
	As far as teachers are concerned, the Department's supply modelling has allowed for falling rolls by reducing the number of teacher training places in 2005/06 for both primary and secondary teaching. However, overall judgments on the number of teachers required also depend on other factors such as those leaving and returning to the profession and this will vary from one area to another. Because of these factors and local variations, teacher numbers have continued to rise. On a full time equivalent basis, their numbers rose by 3,500 to 435,400 in England in January 2006.

Redundancies

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on redundancy costs in his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: There have been no redundancies in the Department but we have run a series of voluntary early release schemes. The total costs to my Department arising from the provisions of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme since 1997 were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total cost to DfES ( million) 
			 1997-98 5.145 
			 1998-99 2.73 
			 1999-2000 4.237 
			 2000-01 4.06 
			 2001-02 6.142 
			 2002-03 5.57 
			 2003-04 2.54 
			 2004-05 18.95 
			 2005-06 14.95 
			 Total 64.324

School Drinks

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria his Department uses to assess the suitability of drinks for sale in schools; and what drinks have been assessed as unsuitable in the last three years.

Jim Knight: Later this month we intend to announce, in response to recommendations from the School Meals Review Panel and the School Food Trust, a full suite of new standards, which will incorporate standards for drinks available at lunch and other times of the day. The School Food Trust plans to publish good practice guidance to assist with the implementation of the standards.
	The 'Healthy School Lunches' guidance, published by DfES, contains the Secretary of State's expectation that drinking water should be made available to all pupils every day, free of charge. In addition the 'Healthy Living Blueprint' includes guidance on both the importance of drinking water and how schools can increase their pupils' consumption.

School Statistics

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of children  (a) are in receipt of free school meals,  (b) have special educational needs and  (c) are from ethnic minority families in each local authority.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 May 2006
	The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

School Statistics

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many governing boards of failing schools have  (a) resigned and  (b) been asked to resign in the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect information on resignations by the governing bodies of failing schools. However, proposals to replace a governing body by a temporary interim executive board require the Secretary of State's approval. Such approval has been given for 32 schools since the relevant legislation came into force in September 2002.

Sex Education Packs

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance the Department issued to schools on the use of the teachers' sex education packs  (a) Beyond a Phase and  (b) Taking Sex Seriously; and how many (i) secondary and (ii) primary schools are using such packs, broken down by local education authority area.

Parmjit Dhanda: These resources are not funded or endorsed by the Department for Education and Skills and we do not collect data on the use of materials by schools.
	The Department issued guidance in 2000 which outlined the statutory responsibility on head teachers and governors to protect their pupils from inappropriate teaching and materials. The guidance advises governors and head teachers to discuss with parents and take on board any concerns raised on sensitive materials to be used within the classroom.

Staff Discipline

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in his Department have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work telephones to access premium rate numbers in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department allows personal use of the internet and e-mail outside normal working hours. Staff are warned that internet access may be monitored and misuse may lead to disciplinary action. Staff are also reminded of the policy each time they log on to the Department's network and must indicate that they accept the policy before log-in can be completed.
	New monitoring software, introduced in 2003, prevents staff from accessing any inappropriate site, and records any attempted access. All access to premium rate numbers are barred.
	The information requested over the last five calendar years is as follows:
	
		
			   Internet abuse  Premium rate numbers 
			   Disciplined  Dismissed  Disciplined  Dismissed 
			 2005 4 1 ? ? 
			 2004 1 1 ? ? 
			 2003 3 ? ? ? 
			 2002 5 3 ? ? 
			 2001 19 5 ? 1

Student Internet Access

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the use of internet access by students in their homes using high speed mobile technology following the recent Budget announcement; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: holding answer 12 May 2006
	Budget 2006 announced 10 million revenue funding over 2006-08 specifically to provide internet connectivity to supplement the 50 million capital announced in Budget 2005 to put computers into the homes of the most disadvantaged secondary school pupils. This 60 million funding will support around 100,000 families and we expect the funding to be allocated shortly.

Student Loans

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether interest has always accrued on a student loan from the moment the loan is paid out.

Bill Rammell: Yes.

Teachers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of teachers completed training but did not enter the profession in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of teachers known to have completed training in England for each of the last five years for which data are available from the Teachers Pension Scheme. It also shows the proportion of qualifiers who had not entered teaching in England or Wales by March of the following year and the proportion of qualifiers with no known teaching service to March 2004.
	
		
			  Year of qualification  Qualifiers recorded on Teachers Pension Scheme  Percentage who had not entered teaching by March of the following year  Percentage without any teaching service by March 2004 
			 1999 24,200 22 8 
			 2000 21,810 20 8 
			 2001 21,810 20 8 
			 2002 23,040 20 11 
			 2003 25,180 20 20 
		
	
	Figures exclude those qualifying through employment-based routes.
	Since 1990, the pattern for entry to teaching has been that about 20 per cent. do not enter in the year after they qualify. This falls substantially in the second year with between 8 and 10 per cent. not entering teaching service in the long term; the figures for the 2003 qualifiers are expected to follow this historical pattern and fall to a similar level.
	These statistics take account only of teachers who are part of the Teachers Pension Scheme. While the coverage is good in the maintained sector, it is patchier in, for example, independent schools and further or higher education. Therefore the true proportion of qualified teachers with no service is expected to be lower.

Teachers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of teachers left the profession before retirement age in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: There is no set retirement age for teachers. Many teachers retire at age 60 but some retire earlier, for example on actuarially reduced terms, and some choose to retire later.

Teachers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the quality of the teaching of  (a) science and  (b) mathematics in secondary schools.

Bill Rammell: The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools 2004/05 states that the teaching of science is good or better in nearly three quarters of secondary schools, and that the teaching of mathematics is good in two thirds of lessons in secondary schools.

Telephone Advice Lines

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many telephone advice lines his Department and its non-departmental public bodies support; how many telephone advisers each employs; and how much funding is provided by  (a) his Department and its non-departmental public bodies,  (b) other Government departments,  (c) the private sector and  (d) the voluntary sector.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills does not have the requested information readily available and therefore an answer to this question could be given only at disproportionate cost.

Temporary Classrooms

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools are using temporary mobile classroom accommodation in each region; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 2 May 2006
	Data supplied to the Department by local education authorities in 2003 showed the following numbers of primary and secondary schools using temporary mobile classrooms:
	
		
			   Primary  Secondary 
			 East Midlands 639 175 
			 East of England 911 194 
			 London 475 139 
			 North East 119 42 
			 North West 357 138 
			 South East 1,128 323 
			 South West 891 184 
			 West Midlands 668 202 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 470 122 
		
	
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under 700 million in 1996-97 to 5.8 billion this year and will rise further to over 6.3 billion by 2007-08. Progress is being made year by year in improving the quality of the school building stock. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula to authorities and schools so that they can address their local priorities, including the replacement of decayed temporary accommodation, on which we have set a high priority. Given the high levels of funding, authorities have the opportunity to replace temporary classrooms where they are considered to be unsuitable.
	Modern, high quality mobile or demountable classrooms provide a good environment for teaching and learning where there is short-term need. They might, for instance, be needed to cope with a short-term increase in pupil numbers, or where extensive remodelling or rebuilding of permanent accommodation means providing temporary accommodation on the school site, rather than transporting children elsewhere.

Temporary Classrooms

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils he expects to be taught in temporary classrooms in Milton Keynes at the start of the 2006-07 academic year.

Jim Knight: The local authority advises that a total of 450 pupils are expected to be housed in temporary classrooms at schools in Milton Keynes at the start of the 2006-07 academic year.

Temporary Classrooms

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils are being taught in temporary classrooms in Milton Keynes, broken down by school.

Jim Knight: The Milton Keynes local authority advises that a total of 450 pupils are currently housed in temporary classrooms at the following schools:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Bradwell Village 50 
			 Caroline Haslett 50 
			 Green Park 50 
			 Olney Infants 50 
			 Lord Grey 100 
			 The Walnuts 20 
			 White Spire 30 
			 Sir Frank Markham 100 
		
	
	Not all of the pupils' time during the school day will be spent in these classrooms.

Transient Homes

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent steps he has taken to improve cross-border co-operation between the Department and the Welsh Assembly Government in tracking children from transient homes; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: We recognise the importance of effective mechanisms for ensuring that appropriate information can follow children with additional needs when they move between England and Wales.
	To this end, my officials are working with the Welsh Assembly Government on the establishment of data standards to support appropriate information transfer between English and Welsh local authorities.
	The ability of agencies in England to receive, store and transfer such information will also be enhanced by the information sharing index to be established under section 12 of the Children Act 2004, following my announcement of 8 December 2005. The index will provide an important tool to support better communication and closer working among practitioners working in children's services by enabling them to identify who else is involved with a child. It will help ensure continuity of support when children and families move from one area to another by enabling services in their new area to identify which services they were receiving in their old area. My officials will continue to liaise with officials of the Welsh Assembly Government as the index is implemented.
	In relation to children on the child protection register, when such a child moves to another local authority area in England and Wales, the authority where the child has been living must notify the receiving local authority of the child's move. The receiving local authority should convene a child protection conference within 15 working days of being notified of the move.

University Degrees

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people gained a doctorate in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2005, broken down by subject; and what each figure is as a percentage change from the equivalent figures in 1995.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 11 May 2006
	The latest information is given in the following tables. A new method of allocating students to subjects was introduced in 2002/03, which means that figures for this and later years are not comparable with those for earlier years. The tables therefore show 1994/95 compared with 2001/02, and 2002/03 compared with later years.
	
		
			  Doctorates awarded at English higher education institutions 
			  Subject  1994/95  2001/02  Percentage change 1994/95 to 2001/02 
			 Medicine and dentistry 430 855 +99 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 250 500 +100 
			 Biological sciences 900 1415 +57 
			 Veterinary sciences 30 50 +67 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 170 185 +9 
			 Physical sciences 1,245 1,315 +6 
			 Mathematical sciences 195 285 +46 
			 Computer science 160 235 +47 
			 Engineering and technology 1,130 1,325 +17 
			 Architecture, building and planning 75 80 +7 
			 Social, economic and political studies 440 820 +86 
			 Law 65 110 +69 
			 Business and administrative studies 185 350 +89 
			 Librarianship and information science 25 30 +20 
			 Languages 330 545 +65 
			 Humanities 310 565 +82 
			 Creative arts and design 55 155 +182 
			 Education 155 450 +190 
			 Combined subjects 120 135 +13 
			 Dormant students(1) 1,975 2,350 +19 
			 Total 8,245 11,750 +43 
		
	
	
		
			  Subject( 2)  2002/03  2003/04  Percentage change 2002/03 to 2003/04  2004/05  Percentage change 2002/03 to 2004/05 
			 Medicine and dentistry 1,165 1305 +12 1300 +11 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 615 650 +6 675 +10 
			 Biological sciences 1,905 1,990 +4 2,005 +5 
			 Veterinary sciences 45 40 -13 55 +20 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 150 185 +22 150 -2 
			 Physical sciences 1,815 1,890 +4 1,925 +6 
			 Mathematical sciences 320 355 +12 365 +14 
			 Computer science 285 370 +31 425 +49 
			 Engineering and technology 1,710 1,765 +3 1,705 0 
			 Architecture, building and planning 125 140 +12 165 +35 
			 Social studies 1,095 1,115 +2 1,170 +7 
			 Law 220 160 -27 165 -24 
			 Business and administrative studies 455 445 -3 485 +6 
			 Mass communication and documentation 50 60 +24 65 +28 
			 Languages 750 710 -5 730 -3 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 690 725 +5 740 +7 
			 Creative arts and design 290 220 -24 240 -17 
			 Education 570 570 -1 590 +3 
			 Combined subjects 20 70 +214 ? -86 
			 Total 12,270 12,765 +4 12,950 +6 
			 (1) Dormant students are those who are not actively following a course of study in the year in which they are awarded their qualification. (2) In 2002/03, the method used to allocate students to subject categories was changed, the main effect of which was to increase the number of students who were allocated to specific subject groups and decrease those who were allocated to the combined subject category. For 2002/03 and later years dormant students have been allocated to specific subjects rather than classified separately.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 5. ? indicates greater than 0 and less than 3.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

University Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people went to university, broken down by  (a) sex and  (b) age, in each year since 1976.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the following table. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available centrally.
	
		
			  UK-domiciled undergraduates( 1)  studying at HEIs in Great Britain (including the Open University) 
			of which: 
			   Total  Male( 2)  Female( 2)  Under 21  21 and over 
			 1979/80 638,835 395,835 243,000 311,410 327,425 
			 1980/81 662,160 409,100 253,060 328,180 333,980 
			 1981/82 693,385 423,800 269,585 346,625 346,760 
			 1982/83 718,315 431,875 286,440 359,400 358,910 
			 1983/84 738,395 439,080 299,315 364,060 374,335 
			 1984/85 745,345 437,785 307,560 365,400 379,950 
			 1985/86 763,765 439,730 324,030 361,850 401,915 
			 1986/87 790,760 448,830 341,930 358,925 431,835 
			 1987/88 806,945 454,715 352,230 363,680 443,265 
			 1988/89 830,645 461,010 369,635 367,980 462,665 
			 1989/90 876,580 476,280 400,305 388,345 488,240 
			 1990/91 933,455 498,080 435,375 414,010 519,445 
			 1991/92 1,024,020 539,300 484,720 453,540 570,480 
			 1992/93 1,131,870 583,985 547,885 488,670 643,200 
			 1993/94 1,228,990 625,765 603,220 516,180 712,810 
			 1994/95 1,307,835 647,875 659,960 531,295 776,540 
			 1995/96 1,410,955 674,435 736,520 535,875 875,080 
			 1996/97 1,460,265 679,085 781,180 549,010 911,250 
			 1997/98 1,476,680 675,780 800,900 575,135 901,545 
			 1998/99 1,501,290 677,000 824,290 600,560 900,735 
			 1999/00 1,504,730 668,105 836,625 617,210 887,520 
			 2000/01 1,528,540 670,865 857,675 621,800 906,740 
			 2001/02 1,557,995 677,590 880,405 626,990 931,000 
			 2002/03 1,609,780 688,285 921,495 635,290 974,490 
			 2003/04 1,666,445 716,910 949,540 645,305 1,021,145 
			 2004/05(3) 1,701,080 724,520 976,560 655,015 1,046,065 
			 (1) Full-time and part-time students.  (2) Includes estimates for the gender split of Open University students for the years prior to 1988/89, and estimates for the gender split of a small number of students in the years 1990/91 to 1993/94.  (3) Includes provisional estimates for HE students in further education colleges.   Note:  Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, so components may not sum to totals.   Source:  Universities Statistical Record (USR), the Open University, and the Education Departments of England, Scotland and Wales for the years up to 1993/94; Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), Learning and Skills Council, Scottish Executive, and Welsh Assembly for 1994/95 and later years.

University Maintenance Grants

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nationals from other EU countries he expects to be eligible to claim university maintenance grants when directive 2004/38/EC comes into force; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We estimate that around 6,000 EU nationals studying full-time in English institutions, who have not satisfied the existing provisions as migrant workers or self-employed persons, could in principle be eligible to claim maintenance support (consisting of loans and grants) in the 2006/07 academic year as a result of changes we have made following the ECJ ruling in the Bidar case. It is therefore expected that the majority of additional EU nationals who will be eligible to claim maintenance support in 2006/07 would have been eligible even if directive 2004/38 had not come into force. We anticipate the directive will add a small number of people to those who are already eligible to claim maintenance support.

Vulnerable Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to address the issue of children  (a) in local authority care and  (b) on the Child Protection Register going missing; and what information his Department collects from local authorities to assist in the work in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department of Health published Children Missing from Care and Homea guide to good practice in November 2002. This was issued, along with Circular LAC (2002)17 under Section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, making the guidance a requirement for local authorities. This guidance includes information about responding to individual children who have been missing from their care placement and about the need for services in each area to follow a strategic approach to ensure consistent management of missing from care incidents.
	Information about children missing from their agreed placement for more than 24 hours by local authority may be found on the Department's website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000646/index .shtml
	The revision of Working Together to Safeguard Children was published in April 2006. Section 11.64 of this document includes advice about the steps to be followed where children who are the subjects of child protection plans go missing. This document may be found at http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/socialcare/ safeguarding/workingtogether/
	Information about children subject to child protection plans who go missing is not collected centrally.

White Papers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many White Papers were published by his Department in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: 14 White Papers were published within the Command Papers series in 2005. These are detailed in the following list:
	
		
			  Command number  Title 
			 6452 Parental Separation: Children's Needs and Parents' Responsibilities 
			   
			 6462 Draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill 
			   
			 6476 14-19 Education and Skills 
			   
			 6483 21st Century Skills: Achievement and Challenge 
			   
			 6522 Departmental Report 
			   
			 6562 The Government's Response to the Seventh Report from Education and Skills Committee of Session 2004-05 
			   
			 6583 The Government Reply to the Report from the Joint Committee on the Draft Children (Contact) and Adoption Bill 
			   
			 6594 The Government's Response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Report on Environmental Education 
			   
			 6599 The Government's Response to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee ReportNational Skills Strategy: 14-19 
			   
			 6610 The Government's Response to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee Ninth Report Session 2004-05 
			   
			 6629 Youth Matters 
			   
			 6677 Higher Standards, Better Schools for AllMore Choice for Parents and Pupils 
			   
			 6702 Reducing Re-Offending Through Skills and Employment 
			   
			 6719 Autumn Performance Report

Working Together

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will place in the Library the responses to his Department's public consultation on Working Together to safeguard children; if he will list responses which sought the rejection of the Bichard Inquiry recommendation regarding disclosure of details of sexual activity by minors when coming into contact with health professionals; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department published an analysis of the responses to the public consultation on 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' and the Government's response on 22 March. I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library.
	There was overwhelming support from respondents for the Government to issue new, clearer guidance for professionals on when to share information with social services and the police to protect sexually active children from harm and abuse, in line with the recommendation in the Bichard Inquiry Report.
	Nine out of 245 respondents to the consultation disagreed or strongly disagreed that the Government should attempt to set out a clearer policy for professionals including the health service and youth workers on when to share information with social services and the police to protect sexually active children from harm and abuse, and 23 out of 235 respondents disagreed that there was a case for information (including confidential information) always being shared in some circumstances.
	The guidance contained in 'Working Together' on sharing information about underage sexual activity recognises professionals' need to balance their duty of confidentiality to young people who access sexual services with the need to safeguard sexually active under-16-year-olds. 'Working Together' sets out a framework to help professionals judge when to share information on this issue.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Beacon Scheme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of the Beacon Scheme.

Phil Woolas: The Beacon Scheme plays an important role in recognising excellent public service and in helping organisations to improve.
	Research on the impact of the Beacon Scheme has been carried out since the first round of the scheme by Warwick Business School. Full details of published research can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) website at: www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1137250.
	A recent review of the scheme was also carried out by the independent advisory panel on Beacon Councils at the request of Ministers in October 2004. The Government's response to their recommendations was published in July 2005 and can be found on the DCLG website at: www.odpm.gov.uk/beaconcouncils.
	Over the last year 90 per cent. of authorities have either applied for beacon status or sought to learn from a beacon and research by Warwick found that over the first five rounds, 79 per cent. of those attending beacon open days made positive changes as a result.

Business Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the  (a) average business rates bill in England and  (b) total net revenue from business rates in England was in each year since 1997-98; and what his estimate is for (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The average business rates bill in England and total net revenue from business rates in England in each year from 1997-98 to 2004-05, and estimates for 2005-06 and 2006-07, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Total net revenue ( million)  Average business rates () 
			 1997-98 11,030 6,796 
			 1998-99 11,342 7,016 
			 1999-2000 11,315 6,998 
			 2000-01 13,430 8,264 
			 2001-02 14,223 8,714 
			 2002-03 14,857 9,071 
			 2003-04 15,000 9,137 
			 2004-05 15,319 9,301 
			 2005-06 16,505 9,997 
			 2006-07 17,629 10,601

Churches (Planning)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether churches require planning permission to erect a cross within the curtilage of their church property.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Notices and other forms of advertisement which relate to any religious institution or religious event are permitted, subject to certain conditions and limitations. Whether the erection of a religious symbol such as a cross in the grounds of a church comes within the scope of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 1992 depends on its size. Memorials are exempt from control.

Civic Forums

Michael Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total annual budget is of regional government's civic forums; if he will list the civic forums that have been established; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have not established any regional civic forums, nor am I aware of any being established by the voluntary regional assemblies that have been designated to undertake certain specific tasks.

Code of Conduct (Parish Councils)

Michael Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of parish councillors who have resigned in response to the introduction of the code of conduct; and how many seats are vacant.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	We have made no such estimate. There is no evidence to suggest that parish councillors resigned over the introduction of the code of conduct, which the National Association of Local Councils supports. Information is not held centrally on the number of vacant parish council seats.

Colchester Borough Council

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the National Audit Office has calculated a final liability for Colchester borough council for its investigation into the 2003-04 accounts; when Colchester borough council will be charged for this amount; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission. I shall ask the chief executive to write to the hon. Member and to ensure the answer is made available in the Library of the House.

Community Land Trusts

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures the Government are taking to encourage the development of community land trusts; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: We are always interested in new initiatives that help encourage active citizenship and that deliver more affordable housing where it is needed. English Partnerships is currently developing a pilot Community Land Trust to deliver affordable housing on public sector land at Cashes Green, Stroud. We will closely monitor developments there to help determine whether this model is effective and good value for money.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what opportunities exist for people to work beyond retirement age in his Department.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply
	The normal retirement age for staff is 60. Staff below the senior civil service have the right to work up to the age of 65. Staff in the SCS may seek agreement to work up to the age of 65. In exceptional circumstances the Department may invite staff to work beyond 65, up to a maximum age of 70, to meet a particular business need.

Discrimination

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on ensuring that measures to prevent discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services are consistent with laws preventing religious discrimination.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 May 2006
	Discussions are ongoing about the interaction between the proposed new regulations and the provisions in part 2 of the Equality Act and the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, both in terms of the current consultation paper 'Getting Equal: Proposals to Outlaw Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Provision of Goods and Services' and the wider Discrimination Law Review.

Discrimination

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure that future measures to prevent discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation will not prevent  (a) bed and breakfast and  (b) other accommodation providers from providing accommodation only for married couples.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 May 2006
	A consultation paper 'Getting Equal: Proposals to Outlaw Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Provision of Goods and Services' was published on 13 March, setting out the Government's proposal for the regulations and seeking the views of interested parties on their proposed shape and coverage. As set out in the consultation, we are proposing that the regulations would apply to providers of bed and breakfast and other accommodation, so the providers of such accommodation would not be able to offer accommodation only to married couples.

Discrimination

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures to prevent discrimination in the provision of goods and services on grounds of sexuality are being considered by her Department.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 May 2006
	A consultation paper 'Getting Equal: Proposals to Outlaw Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Provision of Goods and Services' was published on 13 March, setting out the Government's proposal for regulations and seeking the views of interested parties on their proposed shape and coverage. As set out in the consultation, the Government propose to lay regulations that will be subject to affirmative resolution after the summer recess.

Discrimination

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from Christian  (a) bed and breakfast and  (b) other residential establishments on possible future measures to prevent discrimination on the grounds of sexuality in the provision of goods and services.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 May 2006
	A consultation paper 'Getting Equal: Proposals to Outlaw Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Provision of Goods and Services' was published on 13 March, and has already elicited responses on a variety of questions. All views submitted in response to the consultation will be considered so that these can be taken into account when the regulations are drafted. The consultation period will close on 5 June 2006 and in line with Cabinet Office guidelines the Government aim to publish a formal response to the consultation within 12 weeks of this date. This response will include a list of the non-confidential responses received and a summary of the views expressed in these responses.

Energy Efficient Homes

Edward Balls: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people in  (a) England and  (b) West Yorkshire are receiving council tax rebates for improving the energy efficiency of their homes.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

English Regional Chambers

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government have allocated to the English regional chambers in relation to the transfer of responsibilities from the regional housing boards.

Yvette Cooper: We have set aside up to 850,000 additional grant in 2006-07 to support the regional chambers in carrying out the regional housing secretariat functions they have inherited from the regional housing boards. We expect other regional partners (for example, the Housing Corporation) to continue to contributewhether financially or in kindto the process.

EU Directive 2002/91/EC

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish a regulatory impact assessment for the implementation of EU directive 2002/91/EC.

Yvette Cooper: The technical provisions in Articles 3 to 6 of EU directive 2002/91/EC, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, have been implemented through an amendment of the Building Regulations. I have placed a copy of the final Regulatory Impact Assessment associated with this amendment in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
	There is a three-year derogation period within the Directive to apply fully the procedural provisions in Articles 7 to 10. We are developing a phased programme of implementation and a Regulatory Impact Assessment for this which will be published in due course.

Fire Safety

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if the Minister with responsibility for the fire service will meet the fire service, representatives of the business community and the insurance industry to discuss fire safety and prevention.

Angela Smith: Yes, it is my intention to meet with all key stakeholders, both internal and external, as and when appropriate. I understand that my predecessor met with representatives of the business community and the insurance industry at a meeting of the Business and Community Safety Forum on 3 May 2006.

Fire Service

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hoax telephone calls were made to the fire brigade in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) the Tees Valley in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The number of hoax telephone calls made to the fire and rescue service (FRS) is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows the number of malicious false fire alarms attended by the FRS in each year since 1997 in:
	 (a) England;
	 (b) North East;
	 (c) Cleveland FRS (data for areas below FRS level are not available. Tees Valley is within Cleveland FRS area).
	
		
			  Malicious false fire alarm calls attended by the fire and rescue service, 1997 to 2004 
			  Number 
			   England  North East  Cleveland 
			 1997 84,416 8,413 3,377 
			 1998 70,040 7,206 2,764 
			 1999 66,542 5,888 2,423 
			 2000 60,082 4,824 2,237 
			 2001 59,648 4,472 1,757 
			 2002(1) 54,109 3,898 1,568 
			 2003(1) 47,010 2,453 590 
			 2004 39,139 1,799 394 
			 (1) Including estimates for incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003.   Source:  Fire and Rescue Service FDR3 returns to ODPM.

Housing

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Code for Sustainable Homes will apply to new buildings other than dwellings.

Yvette Cooper: The Code for Sustainable Homes currently covers only homes, not all buildings. The Government are considering a wider Code for Sustainable Buildings. However, the first priority is to complete the Code for Sustainable Homes in the light of consultation responses.

Housing

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the provision of affordable housing in Torbay.

Yvette Cooper: Recognising the need for more affordable housing in Torbay, the Housing Corporation has allocated 11 million from its National Affordable Housing Programme for the Torbay housing market area for 2006-08, a 63 per cent. increase on investment in 2004-06. This is expected to provide around 270 additional affordable homes to rent or buy and demonstrates the Government's commitment to building new affordable homes for the current and next generation in Torbay.
	Torbay council is currently consulting on issues and options for its core strategy planning document, the chief document in the local development framework, and we would expect this to include targets for the provision of affordable housing. We continue to encourage local authorities, registered social landlords and other key stakeholders to work together to meet the challenges of high housing need.

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average density is in dwellings per hectare of the average  (a) detached property,  (b) semi-detached property,  (c) terraced property and  (d) flat.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans his Department has to develop an electronic register of  (a) licensed private rented stock and  (b) licensed houses of multiple occupation.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Section 232 of the Housing Act 2004 requires every local authority to establish and maintain a register of licences granted under Parts 2 and 3, temporary exemption notices, and management orders under Part 4.
	The information required to be included on the registers is prescribed by the Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 (SI Number 373).
	As required by the Act, it is up to every local authority to ensure that they establish and maintain a register of the licences granted in their area.
	It is not Government's intention to develop an electronic register of  (a) licensed private rented stock and  (b) licensed houses in multiple occupation. The Government have therefore left the format for the registers up to local authorities' discretion.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many and what proportion of vulnerable people were estimated to be living in non-decent homes according to the English Housing Conditions Survey, in each year since 1990, broken down by  (a) owner-occupier,  (b) private sector rented,  (c) local authority,  (d) housing association and  (e) other housing.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The English House Condition Survey 2004: Headline report (ODPM, 2006) includes details of private sector vulnerable households living in homes that did not meet the decent homes standard in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2004 (the years the survey was carried out).
	The report is available on the ODPM website at www.odpm.gov.uk/ehcs. More detailed data for owner-occupiers, private tenants and social sector tenants (local authority and RSL tenants combined) are provided in the English House Condition Survey Standard Tables (Table VNla) also on the website. The data for Standard Tables currently cover 2001 and 2003 only and will be updated along with the publication of more detailed findings from 2004 later this year.

Housing

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people have participated in the key worker housing scheme in  (a) Barnet and  (b) London over the last five years, broken down by category of employment; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	 (a) 215 key workers have been helped in Barnet through the starter home initiative and key worker living since 2001.
	
		
			  Barnet  Starter home initiative 2001 to 2004  Key worker living 2004 to 2006  Totals by sector 
			 Health 43 26 69 
			 Education 57 57 114 
			 Police 17 7 24 
			 Prison n/a 2 2 
			 Probation n/a 1 1 
			 Local Authority n/a 4 4 
			 Other (includes social workers, prison/probation staff) 1 n/a 1 
			 Total 118 97 215 
		
	
	 (b) 8,405 key workers have been helped in London through the starter home initiative and key worker living since 2001.
	
		
			  London  Starter home initiative 2001 to 2004  Key worker living 2004 to 2006  Totals by sector 
			 Health 1,821 1,355 3,176 
			 Education 1,401 2,128 3,529 
			 Police 662 628 1,290 
			 Prison n/a 83 83 
			 Probation n/a 33 33 
			 Local Authority n/a 127 127 
			 Other (includes social workers, prison/probation staff) 167 n/a 167 
			 Total 4,051 4,354 8,405

Housing

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what categories of employment are eligible as key workers for the purposes of the key worker housing scheme; if he will review the categories; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	For the purposes of the Key Worker Living (KWL) programme, a key worker is defined as someone employed by the public sector in a frontline role in health, education or community safety delivering an essential public service where there are serious recruitment and retention problems. Within this broad definition, sponsor Government Departments and police and fire authorities specify the groups at which help should be targeted based on recruitment and retention issues in critical frontline services. The sector- specific eligibility criteria can be found in Annex B of the KWL Capital Funding Guide on the Housing Corporation's website (www.housingcorp.gov.uk). This is currently being updated and will be published in due course.
	Eligibility for KWL is kept under regular review.

Housing

David Howarth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of negative subsidy on local authority housing revenue accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The impact of the positive and negative subsidy system on housing revenue accounts is redistributive. The balance of individual local authority housing revenue accounts is based on assumptions made by central Government, and means that some accounts are in surplus while others are in deficit. These assumptions bear no relationship to local rents or local authority decisions. The subsidy system allows surpluses in some local authorities' housing revenue accounts to be used to support other areas where there are deficits. In addition, the Government provide annually a further net contribution to the system of around 200 million, as total deficits are greater than total surpluses.

Housing

Edward Miliband: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people on average were living in  (a) council and  (b) housing association properties in (i) 1981, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 2001.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Census data show that the following numbers of people in England were living in  (a) council and  (b) housing association properties:
	
		
			Council  Housing Association 
			  (i) 1981 12,866,808 753,110 
			  (ii) 1991 8,545,180 1,154,570 
			  (iii) 2001 5,970,845 2,677,873

Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much social housing grant has been  (a) allocated and  (b) spent in each English region in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) to date in 2005-06.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows the amount of social housing grant allocated for each region through Regional Housing Boards. Allocations are approved for each scheme and represent the total grant for the life of a scheme regardless of what year the funds are expended. There is no direct comparison between allocations and spend in a particular year.
	
		
			  Region  Approved allocations 2004-05 ( million)  Approved allocations to 2005-06 (provisional) ( million)  2006-08 allocations value 
			 East Midlands 66 68 166 
			 Eastern 121 124 356 
			 London 780 803 1,684 
			 North East 38 38 82 
			 North West 111 114 224 
			 South East 270 277 744 
			 South West 93 96 281 
			 West Midlands 89 91 198 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 65 63 138 
			 Grand Total 1,633 1,674 3,873 
		
	
	The following table shows the profile of expenditure between the two years of the 2004-06 Approved Development Programme.
	
		
			   million 
			  Region  Expenditure 2004-05  Provisional expenditure 2005-06  2006-08 estimated expenditure 
			 East Midlands 65 72 183 
			 Eastern 137 132 331 
			 London 700 741 1,791 
			 North East 40 37 85 
			 North West 110 117 248 
			 South East 297 272 725 
			 South West 86 93 277 
			 West Midlands 103 85 172 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 60 62 128 
			 Grand Total 1,598 1,611 3,941

Housing

Lee Scott: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the study of English housing cost in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The cost of the survey of English housing in each of the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			   Cost () 
			 2001-02 854,360 
			 2002-03 862,643 
			 2003-04 884,858 
			 2004-05 988,953 
			 2005-06 1,030,000

Housing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funding is available for initiatives to move people from temporary to permanent housing from within the 2006 to 2008 National Affordable Housing Programme in Tamworth; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) funds provision of affordable housing; 2006-08 funding has now been allocated. Two schemes in Tamworth received the full amount requested of 1,049,540. This will provide 28 new housing units which will assist moves from temporary to permanent accommodation. Two other schemes are expected to proceed under SI06 agreements without NAHP funding and expect to provide a further 29 units.

Local Government

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent guidance her Department and its predecessor have given to local authorities on modernising local government structures; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: We have not issued any such recent guidance to local authorities. We have been engaged in a wide-ranging debate about local governance, including the future of two-tier arrangements in the shire areas and will finalise our position at about the same time as the publication of the proposed White Paper later in the year.

Local Government

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has assumed the ministerial powers in the Local Government Act 2000 in relation to new arrangements for local governance.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend's responsibilities include those for the statutory framework for local governance in England.

Local Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of  (a) monitoring,  (b) reporting on and  (c) collecting from local authorities mid-year updates in respect of the 2005-06 Annual Efficiency Statements efficiency reports.

Phil Woolas: We do not hold the data requested for costs incurred by councils and central Government relating to the monitoring and reporting of efficiency statements. The principal work arising from the collection of statements is the review of their contents undertaken by personnel in the DCLG, other Government Departments and the Regional Centres of Excellence. This work helps those organisations to obtain a better understanding of the areas where councils are seeking and achieving efficiency gains, so support to councils can be better targeted.
	In terms of collecting efficiency statements, local authorities are required to submit them through an online submission facility: the esd-toolkit. This allows all the data from councils' statements to be collated automatically at the deadline for submissions. For the 2005-06 Mid-Year Update efficiency statements, this was provided at no extra cost as part of an existing contract with the Improvement and Development Agency.

Local Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funds were distributed to each London borough to increase efficiency in local government in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: Funding to support efficiency in local authorities is distributed to nine Regional Centres of Excellence (RCEs). Each RCE has local governance arrangements reflecting authorities across the region.
	Funding for individual projects, many of which operate across local authority boundaries, are decided by the RCE board. Since 2004-05, funding made available to the London RCE in relation to taking forward the Efficiency Agenda is as follows:
	
		
			  Receiving authorityLondon Regional Centre of Excellence 
			   Funding 
			 Grant payable (2004-05) (million) 1.25 
			 Grant payable (2005-06) (million) 1.65 
			 Additional core funding (2005-06) 50,000 
			 Workstream specific efficiency support (2005-06) 228,366.25 
			  100,000 
		
	
	Individual projects supported by the London RCE are listed at: http://www.lcpe.gov.uk/workstream sexemplars/List_of_Current_Projects.asp.

Local Government Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much debt write-off and gap funding for stock transfers has cost since 1997; what provision has been made for each of the next five years; and which budget line this expenditure comes under.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Housing debt is funded through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy system. Where a local authority transfers its housing to an RSL and the receipt it receives is not sufficient to repay the outstanding debt attributable to the housing, the Office will make a one-off payment where the debt is held with the Public Works Loans Board. The one-off payment is made to discharge the Office's continued liability, through the HRA, to pay subsidy on an authority's housing attributable debt that remains after transfer. Since 1997 the Office has repaid 1.787 billion of local authority debt (including early redemption fees) in this way. There is voted provision of 616 million per year from 2005-06 to 2007-08 for overhanging debt.
	To date, the Government have paid 9.11 million as gap funding grant. 182 million has been made available over the 2004 Spending Review period for gap funding.
	Overhanging debt is capital AME (Annually Managed Expenditure); gap funding is resource DEL (Departmental Expenditure Limit).

Local Government Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funds have been collected from council tax in each London borough in each of the last eight years.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The amount of council tax collected, irrespective of the financial year to which it relates, in each London borough in each of the last eight years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  000 
			  Inner London
			  1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 
			 City of London 1,571 1,830 2,091 2,280 2,551 2,644 3,843 3,761 
			 Camden 50,506 58,740 60,660 60,840 65,780 69,600 79,391 84,222 
			 Greenwich 42,630 46,802 48,267 50,108 52,074 56,861 63,872 67,007 
			 Hackney 26,801 26,618 27,787 29,625 36,716 44,568 49,198 55,515 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 44,846 47,912 50,515 53,881 57,654 58,743 65,696 71,249 
			 Islington 38,133 40,736 43,349 43,783 45,786 46,640 56,402 60,124 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 42,781 45,354 49,832 49,102 55,316 64,412 73,695 81,067 
			 Lambeth 41,908 42,931 46,740 46,401 58,396 65,919 78,272 86,032 
			 Lewisham 41,976 43,267 46,284 52,070 57,426 62,481 70,024 74,848 
			 Southwark 38,100 43,211 45,193 52,919 55,892 61,468 67,077 72,641 
			 Tower Hamlets 21,742 23,978 27,478 31,839 34,662 38,699 45,387 49,908 
			 Wandsworth 38,825 30,242 36,648 40,158 46,130 41,475 59,292 61,698 
			 Westminster 28,980 31,866 34,074 36,137 41,036 44,996 58,041 64,851 
			 Total Inner London 458,799 483,487 518,918 549,143 609,419 658,506 770,190 832,923 
			  
			  Outer London
			 Barking and Dagenham 22,858 25,951 27,766 30,060 32,712 34,808 38,932 40,539 
			 Barnet 75,680 83,756 87,787 97,072 103,031 108,870 131,787 140,587 
			 Bexley 44,750 49,845 55,312 58,926 64,237 69,686 80,858 86,409 
			 Brent 38,836 41,902 48,516 52,570 55,255 60,805 73,616 81,002 
			 Bromley 68,076 71,584 78,385 86,353 97,867 105,146 115,261 123,536 
			 Croydon 64,627 73,295 83,487 84,302 90,750 92,588 116,585 120,252 
			 Ealing 53,922 60,563 66,164 70,814 77,710 84,178 104,829 109,317 
			 Enfield 53,461 57,529 63,150 67,115 75,117 82,041 96,419 103,830 
			 Haringey 43,165 46,422 49,023 52,552 55,531 59,516 69,630 73,511 
			 Harrow 46,560 51,503 55,675 60,842 67,748 72,747 89,279 92,538 
			 Havering 49,577 54,880 59,243 66,473 72,568 79,367 91,935 97,404 
			 Hillingdon 49,477 55,678 61,194 67,696 74,588 81,231 92,948 98,087 
			 Hounslow 44,479 47,402 52,496 58,158 64,650 69,485 78,341 84,504 
			 Kingston upon Thames 33,410 36,394 42,231 47,128 52,594 58,606 67,088 71,738 
			 Merton 42,613 46,781 49,435 54,335 60,845 65,371 71,855 77,105 
			 Newham 24,894 26,810 30,400 33,735 38,069 41,568 46,358 50,509 
			 Redbridge 45,190 49,297 55,261 59,162 64,173 69,449 79,818 84,373 
			 Richmond upon Thames 56,319 57,691 64,420 70,465 77,674 85,077 98,364 103,781 
			 Sutton 39,166 43,716 47,441 50,690 55,524 61,623 68,499 75,210 
			 Waltham Forest 44,685 44,065 46,192 49,544 53,829 57,988 65,351 70,115 
			 Total Outer London 941,745 1,025,064 1,123,578 1,217,992 1,334,472 1,440,150 1,677,753 1,784,347 
			 Total GreaterLondon 1,400,544 1,508,551 1,642,496 1,767,135 1,943,891 2,098,656 2,447,943 2,617,270

London Borough of Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what change in funds will result from the Annual Efficiency Statements 2005-06 Mid-Year Update for the London borough of Havering.

Phil Woolas: There will be no change in the funding for the London borough of Havering as a result of the 2005-06 Mid-Year Update efficiency statements. One of the key elements of the local government efficiency agenda is that councils retain the resources released from their efficiency gains and can decide how they are to be reallocated.
	The 2005-06 Mid-Year Update efficiency statement from Havering showed that it expected to have achieved 9.85 million efficiency gains by the end of 2005-06, which represents the release of real resources that could be used to improve local services or hold down council tax.

Lyons Inquiry

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Lyons Inquiry is next expected to publish  (a) its research and  (b) thematic reports.

Phil Woolas: Sir Michael Lyons is leading an independent inquiry into local government. The timing of the publication of any papers is entirely a matter for him.
	To date, the Lyons Inquiry has published two papers: a consultation paper and interim report on 15 December 2005 and a discussion paper on 8 May 2006, National prosperity, local choice and civic engagement: a new partnership between central and local government for the 21(st) century.
	Sir Michael is due to deliver his final report to Government at the end of this year.

Owner Occupation (Doncaster, North)

Edward Miliband: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many houses in Doncaster North were owner-occupied in  (a) 1981,  (b) 1991 and  (c) 2001; and how many were owner-occupied on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Census data show the following number of homes to have been owner-occupied in Doncaster North in:
	
		
			   Number 
			  (a) 1981 16,865 
			  (b) 1991 20,389 
			  (c) 2001 22,575 
		
	
	2001 is the most recent date for which figures are available at constituency level.

Pensions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who is eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme whether or not directly employed thereby; and how contributions for these people are funded.

Phil Woolas: A person may be a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in England and Wales, if employed by a scheme employer, such as a county or borough council, or certain other bodies with historic links to local government, including certain schools or transport undertakings. In addition, specified employees of some 2,400 external bodies who are contractually admitted to the LGPS are eligible for membership; many of these as a result of the contracting out of local authority services.
	The LGPS is a funded scheme with 89 separately administered funds. The vast majority of employees pay contributions at the rate of 6 per cent. of salary; employers pay contributions at a rate determined by each pension fund actuary. Investment income in 2004/05 totalled 2.3 billion.

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the planning decisions that he has personally  (a) refused and  (b) approved during his tenure as the Secretary of State in charge of planning.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	A list of planning decisions approved and returned by the First Secretary of State since June 2002 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Planning

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful appeals have been brought against planning decisions made by Tamworth borough council in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Records held by the Planning Inspectorate go back to 2000 only. The following table shows the number of planning appeals  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful and the total number of appeals decided relating to the local authority in each of the last six years. It is not possible to provide data before this date.
	
		
			  Tamworth borough council 
			   Decided  (a) Allowed/successful  (b) Dismissed/unsuccessful 
			 2000 6 4 2 
			 2001 8 3 5 
			 2002 6 5 1 
			 2003 8 2 6 
			 2004 7 2 5 
			 2005 14 3 11

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the Government have made of the annual revenue to be raised in England from reformed section 106 agreements once planning gain supplement is introduced.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have proposed in their consultation paper Planning-gain Supplement that if a PGS was introduced the existing system of planning obligations would be scaled back to matters related to the development-site environment and affordable housing provision. No estimates can yet be made of the value that would be raised from scaled back obligations. The value of scaled back obligations would be dependent on a number of variables including the final policy, the future state of the land and development markets, the behaviour of developers and transitional arrangements.

Planning

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the appeals which she has received against local authority refusals of planning applications by  (a) J Sainsbury plc,  (b) Tesco plc,  (c) ASDA Stores Ltd,  (d) WM Morrisons Supermarket plc and  (e) Safeway plc since June 1997, stating in each case (i) whether the application was allowed on appeal, (ii) whether the decision followed the recommendation of the inquiry inspector, (iii) whether the proposed development was in a residential area, (iv) whether the application included planning permission for new homes and (v) whether lorry deliveries were expressly permitted between 10 pm and 7 am.

Yvette Cooper: I have placed in the Library of the House a table which lists appeals received against local authority refusals of planning applications by  (a) J Sainsbury plc,  (b) Tesco plc,  (c) ASDA Stores Ltd,  (e) Safeway plc. There is no record of appeals by  (d) WM Morrisons Supermarket plc. Data are only available from 2000.
	The table also shows (i) whether the appeal was allowed or dismissed and (ii) where the appeal was determined by the Secretary of State and whether the decision followed the recommendation of the inspector.
	The data requested for:
	(iii) whether the proposed development was in a residential area,
	(iv) whether the application included planning permission for new homes; and
	(v) whether lorry deliveries were expressly permitted between10 pm and 7 am;
	are either not available or can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	However, the table does include a development description of each appeal and where this appears relevant to request item (iv) has been highlighted. It should be noted that two of these descriptions are incomplete.
	The table also indicates the local authority and the appeal decision dates.

Private Office

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which building her private office will be located.

Angela Smith: The private office of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is located in Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU.

Regional Fire Control Centres

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's latest estimate is of the cost of setting up the nine regional fire control centres.

Angela Smith: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Hon. Member for Poplar and Canning Town on 27 March 2006,  Official Report, 817W.

Regional Government

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what process exists for dealing with a conflict between a regional development agency regional economic strategy and a regional chamber's regional spatial strategy on  (a) housing numbers and  (b) airport expansion.

Yvette Cooper: The regional economic strategy (RES) and regional spatial strategy (RSS) should be mutually reinforcing. They should take account of each other and be based on a common evidence base.
	Differences between them may emerge during their preparation and public consultation. In particular, the RSS is also subject to testing by an independent panel who are likely to probe the alignment of the RSS with the RES, as an identified matter of interest.
	Government are responsible both for endorsing the RES and for finalising an RSS.

Regional Government

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the  (a) ratification and  (b) drafting of the regional spatial strategies in each region.

Yvette Cooper: The latest estimated issue dates of the final RSS for revisions currently in process are set out in the following table. It must be stressed that these are indicative dates only.
	
		
			  RSS revision timetable key stages 
			  Region  Draft RSS to SoS  Examination in public  Proposed changes published  Issue of final RSS 
			 North east June 2005 March 2006 April 2006 October 2006 February 2007 
			 North west January 2006 October 2006 December 2006 August 2007 December 2007 
			 Yorkshire and Humber December 2005 September 2006 October 2006 March 2007 September 2007 
			 East Midlands plan September 2006 April 2007 May 2007 October 2007 March 2008 
			 West Midlands (phase 1) Black Country study May 2006 January 2007 January 2007 July 2007 November 2007 
			 West Midlands (phase 2) June 2007 February 2008 March 2008 August 2008 January 2009 
			 East of England December 2004 November 2005 March 2006 August 2006 May 2007 
			 South east March 2006 November 2006 March 2007 September 2007 January 2008 
			 South west May 2006 March 2007 May 2007 November 2007 March 2008

Register of Home Condition Reports

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to consult on the regulations to implement the Register of Home Condition Reports.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Consultation was carried out from October 2005 to January 2006 on the principle of establishing the Home Condition Report register, and the requirement that reports become valid only once they are entered on to it. Provisions for the register will be set out in regulations to be made shortly.
	Details regarding the operation of the register will be specified in further regulations planned for later in the year. Drafting of these regulations will proceed in consultation with stakeholders.

Right-to-buy Receipts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much income local authorities received from right-to-buy receipts in each year since 1997; what estimate he has made of income in future years; and how much was  (a) retained by local authorities and  (b) remitted to the Treasury in each year.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows both the total capital receipts the disposal of all housing assets and from right-to-buy sales of local authority dwellings in England in the years from 1997-98 onwards, net of discount and as reported by local authorities. These are capital receipts and not income into the authority's Housing Revenue Account, which is generated by, for instance, rental income.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not estimate future right-to-buy receipts but does estimate future housing capital receipts. Estimates are subject to a number of volatile factors such as the state of the housing market, lending rates, amounts of disposable income and stock condition, and are kept under constant review.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister collects data on total pooled receipts and total amounts set aside by housing authorities. These figures include the amounts arising from right-to-buy sales alongside amounts relating to other housing capital receipts, but the amounts relating to right-to-buy sales are not separately identified.
	The amount of income received by local authorities from the sale of housing assets will not be quite equal to their housing capital receipts less the amount they are obliged to set-aside or pool. Rather, the housing capital receipt, such as a right-to-buy receipt, will first be reduced by, for instance, the administration costs associated with the disposal and any other deduction to the capital receipt the authority may make, such as clawing back the cost of improvement to the asset in previous years. It is the value of this reduced capital receipt that is then used as the basis for the calculation of the set-aside or pooling liability.
	As can be seen from the following table, since 1997 the Government have consistently invested more in housing than was received in receipts. In 2004-05 the amount paid to government from all housing receipts (not just right-to-buy) was 1.7 billion. The amount invested in housing was 4.1 billion i.e. almost 2frac12; times the amount received. The ratio of amount invested to amount received is expected to increase substantially in the future.
	
		
			   million 
			   Total housing capital receipts  Right-to-buy receipts  Set Aside/Pooling  Capital investment  Investment greater than set-aside/pooling by 
			 1997-98 1,438 890 943 1,894 951 
			 1998-99 1,630 907 1,085 2,098 1,013 
			 1999-2000 2,249 1,375 1,477 2,173 696 
			 2000-01 2,441 1,431 1,626 2,866 1,240 
			 2001-02 2,244 1,568 1,382 2,696 1,314 
			 2002-03 3,474 2,244 1,626 2,943 1,317 
			 2003-04 3,622 3,007 (1) 3,964 n/a 
			 2004-05 3,193 2,575 1,700 4,135 2,435 
			 2005-06 (1) (1) (2)840 (3)5,223 4,383 
			 2006-07 (1) (1) (2)801 (3)5,347 4,546 
			 2007-08 (1) (1) (2)753 (3)5,665 4,912 
			 (1) No data  (2) Estimated pooled housing capital receipts  (3) Programmed expenditure   Note:  Pooling replaced set-aside as the mechanism to invest housing capital receipts in 2004-05 
		
	
	Right-to-buy receipts are extremely volatile and difficult to forecast. They are affected by the rest of the housing market and by the nature of the properties available in particular areas. An extrapolation of current trends suggests:
	
		
			   million 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Housing capital receipts 1,120 1,068 1,004 
			 Retained by local authority 280 267 251 
			 To Treasury 788 729 665 
			 To ODPM 52 72 88 
		
	
	In 2004-05 ODPM received 53.9 million from debt free local authorities. Treasury received 1.640 billion from with debt local authorities. The remainder was retained by local authorities.

Section 106 Agreements

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the Government have made of the annual revenue in cash or in kind from section 106 agreements in England.

Yvette Cooper: Sheffield university and the Halcrow Group have recently completed a study for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Valuing Planning Obligations in England which provides estimates on both the number of planning permissions that include planning obligations as well as the value of contributions being negotiated by local authorities for the year 2003-04, The report, based on a national survey of local authorities, will be published shortly.
	Previous research undertaken by Sheffield university titled Planning Obligations and the mediation of development published in 2001 provided estimates for the average value of planning obligations (including cash and in-kind) but not of annual yield.

Sound Insulation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many dwellings constructed in each year since 2000 have failed to satisfy the relevant regulations on sound insulation; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available, but surveys carried out by the Building Research Establishment have indicated that about 25 per cent. of the party walls and 40 per cent. of the party floors between dwellings failed to meet the standards expected by the 1992 edition of Part E of the Building Regulations, which deals with sound insulation. To improve this situation the ODPM revised Part E in 2003 and the evidence is that compliance rates are now much higher, in excess of 90 per cent.

PRIME MINISTER

BDO Stoy Hayward

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met BDO Stoy Hayward; and what matters were discussed.

Tony Blair: I have had no meetings with BDO Stoy Hayward on Government business.

Connexions

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with Ministers at  (a) the Department of Health and  (b) the Department for Education and Skills about the Government's Connexions programme; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Departmental Structures

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to consult Parliament before embarking on changes to departmental structures; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 15 February,  Official Report, columns 2031-32W.

Ministerial Responsibilities

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister when an updated edition of the List of Ministerial Responsibilities will be published; if he will send a copy to each  (a) hon. Member and  (b) Member of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: An updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities is currently being compiled and will be published shortly.
	Copies will be available for Members of both Houses in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister what mechanisms he has in place to enable him to assess the effectiveness of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 28 November 2002,  Official Report, column 442W.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) of 2 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1385W, on visits, if he will list the mode of transport used for each visit.

Tony Blair: I travel making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements. My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers.

Ministerial Travel

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether he uses an Oyster Card in fulfilling his official responsibilities;
	(2)  whether the Oyster Card he was filmed with for television on 27 April is one he uses in fulfilling his official duties.

Tony Blair: I travel making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements. My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers.

Ministerial Travel

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the flights he has taken since 2001; and what measures to offset the carbon emissions were taken for each flight.

Tony Blair: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All my travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library. Information for 2005-06 is currently being compiled and will be published when it is ready.
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel is being offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases Certified Emissions Reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with high sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries. In addition, offsetting my flights and those of Ministers in DEFRA has been backdated to 1 April 2005.

Offshore Trusts

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what his policy is on Ministers having offshore trusts administered  (a) directly and  (b) by means of a blind trust;
	(2)  whether it is his policy that Ministers are required to make declarations to HM Revenue and Customs relating to  (a) property,  (b) income and  (c) any other form of assets held in (i) accounts, (ii) trusts and (iii) other forms of holding outside the UK.

Tony Blair: Guidance to Ministers on handling their financial interests is set out in section 5 of the Ministerial Code.

Parliamentary Questions

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister when it became his policy to refer hon. Members to his website in replying to Parliamentary Questions; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Where my answer refers to a specific document on the website, copies are made available to the hon. Member asking the question and are also placed in the Libraries of the House.

Party Funding

Michael Penning: To ask the Prime Minister what guidance has been prepared on determining whether party political donors are in breach of regulations governing the grant of peerages in return for financial or other assistance; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 17 November 2005,  Official Report, column 1420W.

Planning

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister which Minister is responsible for Government decisions as a result of planning inquiries.

Tony Blair: Government decisions as a result of planning inquiries will be made by Ministers in the newly created Department for Communities and Local Government.

President Chavez

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister whether he will be meeting President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela during his visit to the United Kingdom on 15 to16 May.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my Official Spokesman on12 May, a copy of which is available on the No. 10 website.

Written Records

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister whether written notes are kept of conversations between himself and foreign heads of Government; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Records are kept in accordance with 'Private Office Records Guidance' prepared by the Cabinet Office and the National Archives. Copies of this guidance are available on the National Archives website.